Sounder News
The 2025 Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District election will take place on June 18 at the north Fire Hall, with voting open from noon until 7pm.
The Interim Corporate Officer for the Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District, along with the Returning Officer for the 2025 Election, provided the following information, describing how ballots would be counted in the 2025 Gabriola Fire Board election.
Marjorie Colebrook is the interim Corporate Officer.
On election day:
• The ballots are removed to a secure room for counting;
• The names are read by the returning officer;
• The votes are recorded by the corporate officer, an assistant corporate officer, and the poll clerk – three tallies – must match.
Each candidate can
a) be present for the counting process or;
b) nominate a scrutineer to watch on their behalf.
Scrutineers will also record on a tally sheet.
The tally sheets and other election documentation will be collected and kept for 14 days (appeal period).
All elections material will be destroyed within 60 days after the expiry of the appeals process.
Colebrook also provided a reminder on voter information from the Improvement District Manual:
It states, “If more than one person is registered on title as a landowner, each person may vote as long as they meet the other voter eligibility requirements. Each corporation or society that owns land within the improvement district has one vote and must designate, preferably in writing (the returning officer has requested a notarized letter), a person to vote on its behalf. That person can also be an owner of other property in the improvement district. If so, that person could vote twice, once on their own behalf as a landowner and also as the agent authorized on behalf of the landowning corporation or society.
“No person can have two votes unless they meet the qualifications to be an elector and are also designated as authorized agent to vote on behalf of a corporation.”
Colebrook was asked if someone could, in theory, have a second vote if they are representing a corporation which owns property on Gabriola.
She said, “Yes, but they will need a notarized letter from the company for the 2nd vote and it’s one per company.”
Colebrook added, as per the BC Improvement Manual “only persons attending the election, and meeting the eligibility requirements, are entitled to vote. Persons not attending the election in person cannot vote by proxy.”
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