Tseshaht and Hupacasath members living on reserve are not eligible to vote in the Port Alberni municipal election, but they may vote in the School District 70 election and in the Sproat Lake Marine Patrol Referendum.
Breaking it down, Hupacasath members living on the Ahahswinis reserve are eligible to vote in the ACRD Area E (Beaver Creek) election, in which Patty Edwards is running against John McNabb. The polling station is at Gill Elementary School (5520 Beaver Creek Road).
“They are completely outside the city boundary, even though they are physically located within city limits,” Port Alberni chief electoral officer Davina Hartwell explained.
Hupacasath members on the Kleekoot reserve and Tseshaht residents on the main reserve all vote in Area D (Sproat Lake), where incumbent director Penny Cote has been acclaimed. Members may vote at Harold Bishop Fire Hall (7667 Pacific Rim Highway) in the SD 70 election and Sproat Lake Marine Patrol Referendum.
Cote is also running for a seat on Port Alberni city council, although she resides in Sproat Lake and is ineligible to vote.
“It is allowable under the Local Government Act. The electors who nominate them have to be qualified voters in the city,” Hartwell said.
Tseshaht members residing on IR2 at Polly Point fall within Area F (Cherry Creek), where Lucas Banton is running against Dennis Dalla-Vicenza, who is also running in the SD 70 election. They may vote at Cherry Creek Hall (3767 Moore Road).
For Nuu-chah-nulth living on the West Coast, there is no vote in this election. On-reserve residents are normally eligible to vote within ACRD Area C (Long Beach) and SD 70 Area 2 (West Coast). This year, however, incumbent Area C director Tony Bennett has been acclaimed and Gurmail Aujla has been acclaimed as SD 70 trustee for Area 2. The Sproat Lake Marine Patrol issue is not included in this jurisdiction.
ACRD chief election officer Wendy Thomson said voting eligibility has changed for Uchucklesaht and Huu-ay-aht First Nations.
“Uchucklesaht Tribe Government is now a voting member on our board, so they are not part of an electoral area. They have decided to participate in the Marine Patrol program, they are still within the school district area and they can vote for trustees.
“They can go anywhere to vote. Actually, anyone can go to any of our locations to vote, but we encourage them to go to the one that they reside at.”
Huu-ay-aht is also a full voting member of the ACRD board, so they are no longer part of Area A (Bamfield) Thomson explained. They are eligible to vote for SD 70, however.
The Bamfield polling station is located at Bamfield Fire Hall, 352 Pachena Road.
The General Voting Day is 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 15. The final Advance Polling Day takes place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 12 at the Regional District Office, 3008 Fifth Avenue, Port Alberni.
Voters must be 18 years of age or older and are required to bring two pieces of identification to establish residence.
