Vancouver election officer challenges candidates’ use of Chinese names on ballots

Seven Vancouver civic-election candidates are heading to court after the city’s chief election officer challenged the names on their nomination papers. The group includes five candidates from ABC Vancouver and two from OneCity, whose submitted names included English and Chinese characters. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Under the Vancouver Charter, candidates may have their usual names, rather than their legal names, printed on a ballot. The chief election officer may challenge a submitted name if he believes it is not the candidate’s usual name.

ABC Vancouver council candidate Lenny Zhou said he has used his Chinese name for 40 years. He said it was given to him by his parents at birth and forms part of his identity. ABC candidate Lorraine Lowe said she has done considerable work under the name “Lau Dui Ming,” which appears on her campaign poster, and has been recognized for work completed before the election.

OneCity candidate Iona Bonamis said she and the other affected candidates are working with a lawyer to compile evidence that they use their Chinese names in their daily lives. She said limiting her ballot name to English could alienate voters who do not speak English and create a barrier to participation.

The issue also arose during Vancouver’s previous civic election. Because of time constraints, the judge adjourned that case and candidates were allowed to keep their names on the ballots.