As speculation intensifies that B.C. Premier David Eby is poised to call a snap election, the president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities is warning that “overlapping elections” would distract voters from local races. The province’s municipal elections are set for Oct. 17, with the official campaign period set to get underway on Saturday. Union of B.C. Municipalities president Cori Ramsay, in a statement, said separate and distinct election periods for different levels of government are in place for a reason and should be maintained. “The campaign period for local elections is about to begin in 188 communities across the province. With over 3,500 candidates competing and with a wide range of issues facing B.C.’s communities, residents cannot afford to be distracted from local campaigns by a snap provincial election call,” Ramsay said, in the statement. “At a time when B.C. is facing considerable economic and social uncertainty, overlapping elections would be a disservice to our citizens. One hopes that provincial parties would temper election rhetoric as local campaigns are set to begin, but the spiral of speculation continues” If a snap election is called, the campaign period is between 33 and 39 days and voting day must be on a Saturday. Even if a snap election were to send voters to the polls a week after the local votes, Ramsay said there would be an overlap in campaigning and advanced voting. The next scheduled provincial election is in October of 2028.
