What you need to know about New West’s October election

Yep, general elections are happening, and yep, they’re about two months away. General election day is Saturday, Oct. 15. Mayor-elect, council-elect and school board-elect will start their term in November. The term will end in 2026.

Who is on council right now?

The current mayor is Jonathan Cote, and he confirmed in January that he will not be seeking re-election. That means we’re guaranteed a new mayor. Cote became mayor in 2014, defeating Wayne Wright. Cote was re-elected for a second term in 2018, with 73% of the vote.

As of publication, there are three candidates running for mayor.

• Ken Armstrong, who is running with the New West Progressives;

• Patrick Johnstone, who is running with Community First New West and has the backing of the New West and District Labour Council;

• Chuck Puchmayr, who is running as an independent

As for council, all but one person will be seeking re-election: Mary Trentadue is stepping away from political life after announcing she would like to spend more time with her family.

Councillors Nadine Nakagawa, Jaimie McEvoy, and Chinu Das are all running for re-election with the Community First New West slate. Nakagawa and Das were first elected to council in 2018, while McEvoy has been on council since 2008.

Who else is running for council and school board?

Check out our full list of candidates. Be sure to bookmark the page: as more people announce, we’re adding their names to the list.

How many slates are there in New Westminster?

This year elector organizations, also known as slates or parties, must register with Elections BC. Two parties have registered: Community First New Westminster and the New Westminster Progressive Electors Coalition Society.

Am I eligible to vote?

Elections BC says you can vote in a municipal election if you are 18 years of age or older, and if you’ve lived in BC for at least six months by Oct. 15, 2022. It’s important to make sure your information is up to date.

If you need to register, visit this Elections BC page. To sign up, you’ll need one of the following:

• Your BC driver’s licence number;

• Your BC ID number;

• The last six digits of your social insurance number;

• The last six digits of your personal health number

Elections BC says registration should be done by Aug. 22 to ensure you are on the voter’s list.

Those who own property in New Westminster, or are the registered owner of a property by Sept. 14, may be eligible to cast a vote. There are a number of conditions that need to be met, which you can find here.

What will campaigning look like?

Some hopefuls have already started door-knocking. However, campaign signs cannot be set up until after 4pm on Monday, Sept. 19. This year, campaign signs will be smaller in size, with that rule coming from the city’s sign bylaw. Car wraps and vehicle signs related to the election are also not allowed under the same bylaw.

This election’s campaign period will go from Sept. 17 to Oct. 15.

How, when and where can I vote?

People will be able to vote by mail for the first time. If you're eligible to vote, you can request a mail ballot beginning Aug. 30. Ballots must be returned to City Hall by 8pm on Oct. 15 to be counted.

Advance voting takes place on Oct. 5, 8, and 12. General voting day is Oct. 15. Those who have registered should receive a card in the mail with more information about where to vote.

What’s our municipal voting record?

In the last three municipal elections (2011, 2014, 2018) New West has trended lower in comparison with the rest of the province, according to Civic Info BC.

• In 2011, about 25% of those eligible voted, while the average municipal turnout provincewide was 30%

• In 2014, 30% of those eligible voted, but that was lower than the average municipal turnout of about 34.5%

• In 2018, 27.5% of those eligible voted, but this was nearly 10% lower than the provincial average, at 35.6%