Activity is brisk in the Town of Sidney as potential municipal election candidates have taken out 13 nomination packages from town hall.
The packages became available on August 22. Sandi Dunic, the Town’s chief electoral officer, says only the number of packages picked up can be released. Names of candidates do not become official until the nomination deadline next month.
In North Saanich as of Aug. 28, no packages had been taken out, says the District’s Chief Electoral Officer Curt Kingsley. He said potential candidates seem to be holding their cards close to their chests.
In Central Saanich, packages have been made available online and according to Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Ruby Shea, there's no way to track how many packages have been downloaded so far.
"We won't have an idea on how many were filled out until the packages are submitted in October," she said.
The official campaign nomination submission deadline begins on Sept. 30 and ends Oct. 10.
Dunic said that under the Local Government Act, which sets these timelines province-wide, candidates then have one week to change their minds, officially qualify as a candidate or be deemed to have withdrawn. None of the three Saanich Peninsula municipalities charge the optional $100 fee to take out nomination packages.
A candidate will be deemed to have withdrawn when they do not submit the original nomination forms by Oct. 17, or otherwise is unable to run as a candidate in the municipal election.
By Oct. 20, all jurisdictions will make their official declaration of candidates eligible to take part in the election.
The 2014 municipal elections in B.C. takes place Sat., Nov. 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.