New Westminster has not one but two elections coming up next month. Here's what you need to know about both.
Provincial snap election: October 24, 2026
Premier David Eby has called a snap provincial election for October 24, one week after municipal voting day. New Westminster falls within the Burnaby-New Westminster, New West-Coquitlam, and Richmond-Queensborough provincial ridings.
Provincial Election Candidates:
Burnaby-New Westminster
New Westminster-Coquitlam
Richmond-Queensborough
To vote provincially, eligibility and registration requirements are the same as the municipal election. Check your registration and find your voting location at elections.bc.ca.
Who can vote in the Provincial Election
You can vote in B.C.’s upcoming provincial election if you are:
- a Canadian citizen,
- 18 or older on October 24, 2026, and
- a resident of B.C. since April 23, 2026.
Where to Vote in the Provincial Election
Advance voting is open in locations across the province on between October 16-21 | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (local time). You don’t need a special reason to vote at advance voting. It’s an option for all eligible voters. Voters can vote at any advance voting place in the province, and all advance voting places are wheelchair accessible.
Make sure to check your Where to Vote card or visit wheretovote.elections.bc.ca to find voting places and the dates they are open.
Final Voting is open on Saturday, October 24 | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Pacific time).
Your "Where to Vote" card
Elections BC will send a Where to Vote card to registered voters. Your Where to Vote card lists your assigned voting place on Final Voting Day and advance voting options in your electoral district. You can use your Where to Vote card as one of two pieces of voter ID, but you don’t need it to vote.
AMAs
Municipal, provincial, and school board candidates are welcome to reach out via modmail to arrange a verified AMA on the sub. We welcome candidates of all political affiliations as long as our rules are respected.
Political Discussions
Verified AMAs and news articles about significant election news are welcome here on r/newwest. For the bulk of political Q&A and discussion, please head to our sister sub, r/NewWestPolitics.
Astroturfing and political spam
I've so far identified 18 accounts in the leadup to this election season that appear to be spamming this subreddit and our sister subreddit with commentary that violates our rules. Most fit the same pattern: accounts created around or during prior election periods that appear out of nowhere to post one-sided political content, then go quiet again once voting wraps up. They typically have little to no karma and no history outside of election season or political discussions. New and resurrected accounts are welcome here for the majority of topics, but if your account exists solely to push a political agenda, you may find your participation limited by our basic account and activity requirements. This is universal across political affiliations; please don't spam our sub.
Municipal election: October 17, 2026
Two main elector organizations are fielding candidates this cycle, along with one independent:
Who can vote?
You must meet all the qualifications to vote:
- Be 18 years of age or older on October 17, 2026
- Be a Canadian citizen
- Have lived in BC for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration
- Live in New Westminster (no minimum days required), or own property registered in your name in New Westminster for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration
- Not be disqualified by law from voting
How to vote
General Voting Day
October 17, 2026: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Advance Voting Days
October 7, 8, 9, 10, & 14, 2026: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
New Westminster uses a "vote anywhere" model, meaning you can vote at any of the 15 voting locations on general voting day. Nine advance voting opportunities are available over five days, including October 9, when five locations across the city will be open simultaneously. All eligible voters may apply to vote by mail. Click here for more details.
Eligible voters in New Westminster can vote for one mayor, six councillors and seven school trustees.
To register or check your registration: elections.bc.ca or call 1-800-661-8683. You can also register in person on voting day with two pieces of ID.
Find more info at the New West City Website.
