Maple Ridge urges voters to plan for the Oct. 17 municipal election as provincial campaigning begins

Maple Ridge’s Local General Election is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. As a provincial election campaign gets underway at the same time, the City is urging voters to stay informed and take part. Overlapping campaigns could cause confusion about provincial and municipal candidates, issues and voting opportunities. Competing messages and multiple voting events could also contribute to election fatigue. Carolyn Mushata, the City’s director of legislative services and chief election officer, said voters will encounter a great deal of election information in the coming weeks, and the City does not want the overlap to confuse them about when, where or how to vote. She said the municipal election is separate from the provincial election, with its own candidates, voting opportunities, ballots and questions. Local election information is available at MapleRidge.ca/GoVote.

Voters will elect five school trustees for School District No. 42. The trustees will serve four-year terms from November 2026 to October 2030. Voters will also decide three separate assent vote questions on proposed long-term borrowing for Recreation Ready projects: Hammond Aquatics and Recreation Centre, Hammond Multi-Use Community Park, and Albion Twin-Rink Arena Expansion. Each question will be decided separately and will pass if more than 50 per cent of valid votes cast are Yes. Mushata said local elections shape decisions affecting daily life, including local services, infrastructure, parks and recreation, public safety, transportation and community planning. She encouraged residents to review the information, learn their voting options and participate, noting the proposed Recreation Ready projects are also on the ballot.

The City of Maple Ridge administers the local election, including votes for mayor, council and school trustees, as well as the three local assent vote questions. Information on local candidates, eligibility, voting places, advance voting, mail ballots and the assent vote process is available at MapleRidge.ca/GoVote or by emailing Election@MapleRidge.ca. Elections BC administers the provincial election, scheduled for Oct. 24. Information on provincial candidates, voter registration, voting places and voting options is available at elections.bc.ca. Residents should check which election any information concerns: the two elections have separate ballots, candidates, voting places and dates.

There are three ways to vote in Maple Ridge’s 2026 Local General Election. Eligible voters can apply now for a mail ballot, which will be available for pick-up in early October. Completed mail ballots must reach the chief election officer by 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, to be counted. Advance voting will be held on Oct. 7 at Albion Community Centre (24165 104 Ave.) or St. Luke’s Hall (20285 Dewdney Trunk Rd.); Oct. 10 at Ridge Meadows Seniors Activity Centre (12150 224 St.); Oct. 14 at Albion Community Centre or St. Luke’s Hall; and Oct. 15 at Albion Community Centre, St. Luke’s Hall or Fraserview Village Hall (22610 116 Ave.).

General voting places are Whonnock Elementary School (27471 112 Ave.), Garibaldi Secondary School (24789 Dewdney Trunk Rd.), Albion Community Centre (24165 104 Ave.), Yennadon Elementary School (23347 128 Ave.), Ridge Meadows Seniors Activity Centre (12150 224 St.), Laity View Elementary School (21023 123 Ave.), Hammond Elementary School (11520 203 St.) and Thomas Haney Secondary School (23000 116 Ave.).

A voter information mailout will be delivered to Maple Ridge households during the week of Sept. 28. It will include local election voting information, details about the assent vote process and information on the proposed Recreation Ready projects. Eligible residents who are not on the provincial voters list may register when voting by providing two pieces of identification showing their name and residential address. For local election details, including candidate information, voting places, eligibility and mail ballot applications, visit MapleRidge.ca/GoVote or email Election@MapleRidge.ca. Provincial election information is at elections.bc.ca.