7 Vancouver Island Mayors Elected Unopposed Ahead of B.C. Municipal Elections

Seven mayors have already been elected unopposed in cities across Vancouver Island, nearly a month before general voting in British Columbia’s municipal elections.

The municipalities include Sidney, Duncan, Lantzville, Cumberland, Comox, Port McNeill and Port Hardy. In each community, only one candidate filed a nomination for mayor, resulting in an automatic victory without a contested election.

Political experts and local leaders say the trend may reflect today’s increasingly toxic political environment, personal attacks on social media and growing mental-health pressures. They believe these factors are discouraging many qualified people from entering municipal politics, leaving voters with little or no choice in some communities.

General voting for municipal elections across B.C., including in Surrey and Vancouver, is scheduled for October 17.