On Saturday, Novem­ber 19, British Columbi­ans will be electing new civic officials that will run their local governments in cities and municipali­ties for the next three years. To our knowledge, there are five Filipino Canadians running in this election in the Low­er Mainland, and one for city council in Kitimat. We have covered all the candidates in past issues and the current issue and it is up to you the voter, if they deserve your vote. If you must vote, vote wisely. Running in any elec­tion involves a lot of hard work for candidates and their supporters. It demands an in­vestment of time as well as money. As citizens, we should show our ap­preciation for their efforts by coming out to vote. Civic officials and their de­cisions affect how we live in the most basic aspect of our lives – how much property taxes we pay, how often is our garbage col­lected, how our schools are run, etc.

Local government is government at the com­munity level - government that affects all of us, every day. They include munici­palities, regional districts, school districts, and the Islands Trust. Voting is an important part of our democratic process. It is a chance, for every eligible person to influence the poli­cies that affect our lives on a daily basis. With only a simple mark on a ballot, vot­ing lets us decide who our repre­sentatives will be and what our future will look like. The right to vote is protected by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is one of our country’s most cher­ished institutions.

A resident elector can vote if you:
are a Canadian citi­zen
are 18 years of age or more on general voting day
have lived in B. C. for at least six months before you register to vote, and
have lived in the mu­nicipality, regional district or school dis­trict where you wish to vote for 30 days or more before you register to vote.

You will need two piec­es of I. D. that prove who you are and where you live. One of them must have your signature on it.

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