Whereas the Province of British Columbia has the governing authority to implement electoral legislative changes including allowing for Permanent Residents to vote in municipal elections; and And whereas more than 45 countries have granted Permanent Residents some form of voting rights including seven jurisdictions in the US and 25 European Union countries; and 11 municipalities in Canada are working toward extending local election voting rights to Permanent Residents: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia make the necessary changes to allow Permanent Residents to vote in local government elections in British Columbia.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs Housing Government encourages participation in local government processes to support healthy and engaged communities. While there may be some support for enfranchising permanent residents at the local level, there are also many strong opinions regarding voter eligibility as a fundamental democratic right of citizenship. Permanent residents are not eligible to vote in British Columbia provincial elections or in Canadian federal elections. The Local Government Act and Vancouver Charter mirror the voter eligibility requirements at the federal and provincial level and provide that only Canadian citizens may vote in local elections. Voter eligibility is consistent across BC. Any change to voter eligibility in local elections would require careful consideration and a thorough analysis of the legal and constitutional implications of any proposed changes. This work would also likely involve consultation at both the federal and provincial levels of government as well as the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.