TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: November 2, 2026 Report No. ADM-26-052
TO: Council
FROM: Sarah Holloway, Chief Election Officer
SUBJECT: 2026 General Local Election Final Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council receive Staff Report No. ADM-26-052 outlining the official results of the 2026 General Local Election held on October 17, 2026, for information.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of this report is to satisfy the statutory requirements of section 158 of the Local Government Act which states that within 30 days after the declaration of official election results the Chief Election Officer must report out those results. The official election results were declared on October 20, 2026.
BACKGROUND:
In accordance with the Local Government Act, a General Local Election for Mayor and Council must be held every four years on the third Saturday of October. Under the School Act municipalities are also responsible for conducting school trustee elections within their trustee electoral areas on the same timeline.
ANALYSIS:
The Township of Esquimalt conducted the 2026 General Local Election to elect one Mayor, six Councillors and one school trustee. There were a total of 16 candidates across the three contests; two for Mayor, twelve for Councillor, and two for School Trustee.
Voting Opportunities
The following voting opportunities were available to all eligible Esquimalt electors:
• October 7, 2026: Advance Voting, Esquimalt Recreation Centre Jubilee Hall
• October 14, 2026: Advance Voting, Esquimalt Recreation Centre Jubilee Hall
• October 17, 2026: General Voting Day, Esquimalt Recreation Centre Jubilee Hall
• Mail Ballot Voting: Applications accepted between August 17 - October 13, 2026.
These four voting opportunities met the requirements of both the Local Government Act and the Elections and Assent Voting Procedure Bylaw, 2022, No. 3068. This was the third time that mail ballot voting was utilized in Esquimalt, having been introduced for the first time as part of the 2022 general local election process and used again in the 2025 by-election.
School Trustee Election
This year the School Trustee election process shifted from an at-large voting system to an electoral area model approved by the Ministry of Education and Child Care where Township residents were voting for an Esquimalt representative to the Board. This model was implemented following a taskforce recommendation to improve geographic and Indigenous representation at the School Board table. The nine trustee seats are now distributed across seven geographic and First Nations areas, with candidates running directly within their respective electoral areas as follows:
• Kosapsum (Esquimalt) Nation: 1 trustee seat
• Songhees Nation: 1 trustee seat
• Esquimalt: 1 trustee seat
• Highlands/View Royal: 1 trustee seat
• Oak Bay: 1 trustee seat
• Saanich: 2 trustee seats
• Victoria: 2 trustee seats
Accessibility
A significant milestone in this election was the introduction of a Ballot Marking Device (BMD) to support accessible voting. Available on all voting days, the BMD featured an audio-tactile interface with headphones, intuitive paddle-button controls, and a sip-and-puff port, enabling electors with visual, mobility, or dexterity challenges to vote more independently. The device complemented the Township’s existing accessible voting options, including mail ballot voting for electors who wished to vote without attending a polling station, curbside voting for those with mobility limitations, and assistance from election staff for voters requiring additional support.
Together, these measures reflect the Township of Esquimalt’s commitment to removing barriers and improving inclusivity by ensuring that every eligible elector can vote in a manner that accommodates their individual needs.
Voter Engagement
To encourage voter participation in this year’s general local election, election staff designed an election postcard and launched a direct-mail campaign to deliver voting information directly to electors’ homes.
To further support senior electors who may experience mobility challenges, the elections team distributed voter information flyers to senior centres and dedicated senior care facilities, highlighting the option to vote by mail ballot.
Information on the accessible voting options available, including the Ballot Marking Device, mail ballot voting, curbside voting, and assistance from election staff was also emailed to select organizations serving the accessibility community, with a request that the information be shared with their members.
The general local election was also promoted through posts, reels, and event listings on the Township’s website and social media accounts; newspaper advertisements; notices on public and community notice boards; display screens at Township facilities; the Recreation Centre’s external sign board and the Archie Browning Sports Centre’s digital sign; flyers and postcards displayed at the municipal hall, recreation facilities, local coffee shops, the Esquimalt Farmers Market, and the Esquimalt Greater Victoria Public Library branch; the Current community newsletter; and the economic development and municipal e-newsletters.
Election Results and Statutory Requirements
The total number of valid ballots cast in the 2026 election was 4,937, representing a voter turnout of 34.66%. The voter turnout is calculated based on the number of voters included in the Provincial Voters List, which Esquimalt uses as its official list of electors, of which there were 14,245 registered voters. Of the 4,937 ballots cast, 213 were by mail ballot.
Section 158 of the Local Government Act requires that the Chief Election Officer submit a report of the election results, including a compilation of the information on the ballot accounts, to the local government Council within 30 days after the declaration of the official election results were made. The Declaration of the Official Election Results was made by the Chief Election Officer on October 20, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. for the offices of Mayor and Councillors (Attachment 1). The dec of election results for School Trustee is done by the Chief Election Officer appointed by the School Board.
The determination of election results containing a summary of the ballots cast for each candidate at each voting opportunity is also attached (Attachment 2), along with the ballot account reconciliations for each voting opportunity and the overall ballot account reconciliation (Attachment 3).
In accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act, all election materials have been appropriately stored, and staff will arrange for secure destruction of the materials following the expiration of the legislated retention period.
OPTIONS:
1. That Council receive Staff Report No. ADM-26-052 outlining the official results of the 2026 General Local Election held on October 17, 2026, for information.
2. That Council receive the 2026 General Local Election Staff Report ADM-26-052 from the Chief Election Officer for information, and direct staff to provide additional information at a future Council meeting.
COUNCIL PRIORITY:
Good governance and organizational excellence
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
In previous election years, the Township had a cost-sharing agreement with the Greater Victoria School District Board of Trustees. In an email dated June 23, 2026, the School District advised the Township that, at its June 15, 2026, meeting, the Board directed staff to proceed in accordance with sections 37(1) and 38(1) of the School Act. Under this approach, the Township would conduct the election, and the School District would be responsible only for incremental costs. Consequently, the School District would no longer enter into a cost-sharing agreement. When the election budget was presented to Council earlier this year, the anticipated cost-sharing arrangement was projected to provide a savings of $25,608. The Township will no longer recover that amount.
The final costs of the General Local Election have not yet been calculated as not all invoices have been received and processed at this time.
It is anticipated that all future elections will have additional costs resulting from the unexpected dissolution of the past cost-sharing agreement with the School District.
There are no financial impacts associated with Council’s receipt of Staff Report ADM-26-052 on the final election results.
COMMUNICATIONS/ENGAGEMENT:
The preliminary general local election results were published to the Township’s website on Saturday, October 17, 2026, and to CivicInfo BC’s election results webpage broadly used by local media. The declaration of official results was made at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 20, 2026. These official results were then published to the Township’s website and posted to the official public noticeboards. Elections BC has been notified of the results.
TIMELINES & NEXT STEPS:
• An ad will be placed in the British Columbia Gazette as required by statute following the completion of the Inaugural Meeting of Council.
• Secure destruction of the election materials will occur following the expiration of the legislated retention period on December 15, 2026.
REPORT REVIEWED BY:
1. Deb Hopkins, Director of Corporate Services, Reviewed
2. Ian Irvine, Director of Finance, Reviewed
3. Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer, Concurrence
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
1. Declaration of Official Election Results
2. Determination of Election Results
3. Ballot Account Reconciliations