Early Provincial Election Call Bad for Democracy: VIU Prof
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto says the snap vote will crowd out local races and strain volunteers, donors and voters across B.C.
- On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Premier David Eby announced a snap provincial election for October 24, creating a seven-day overlap with municipal elections scheduled for October 17.
- During last week's Union of BC Municipalities conference, local leaders opposed provincial elections during local periods, citing established fixed dates intended to prevent such overlap.
- Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto, running for re-election, said the competing campaigns will "confuse voters" and drain limited resources like volunteers and donors, expressing disappointment with Eby's decision.
- Michael MacKenzie, Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership, warned the overlap could drive down voter turnout and called the move "disrespectful" to local candidates.
- Seeking to offer a "viable governing alternative" to NDP leadership, the Conservative Party and Centre BC are mobilizing, while Green Party leader Emily Lowan criticized the move as power-focused.
12 Articles
12 Articles
In parallel with municipal elections, analysts believe that the timing is wrong to trigger provincial elections in British Columbia
‘Incredibly frustrating’: Municipal candidates react to David Eby calling a concurrent provincial election
Candidates in the Oct. 17 municipal election are angry that David Eby ignored their advice to hold off on calling a provincial election until votes were cast in local communities.
Early provincial election call bad for democracy: VIU prof
Premier David Eby calling a snap provincial election two years into a four-year mandate and on top of municipal elections is 'bad for democracy,' says a Vancouver Island University professor with expertise in democratic institutions. Michael MacKenzie, who holds the university's Jarislowsk...
Victoria mayor ‘disappointed’ in Premier Eby’s choice to call provincial election in October
Mayor Marianne Alto, who is running for re-election as mayor of Victoria, is disheartened with Premier David Eby’s decision to call a provincial election in such close proximity to BC’s upcoming local elections.
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