By Transition Salt Spring Elections & Candidates, Local News – October 15 2026 on the Salt Spring Exchange. See the original post here.
I find it unfortunate and troubling that local elections on Salt Spring get decided by very few people. We need more voices heard than the 31.9% of voters who voted in the last local election.
Typically, only about half the people on Salt Spring who vote in federal and provincial elections, turn out for local elections. In the 2024 provincial election, voter turnout rate was 69% in our Saanich North and the Islands district, and in last year’s federal election, turnout was 77.9% in our Saanich-Gulf Islands riding. In contrast, the turnout for recent local elections on Salt Spring has been consistently in the 30s.
This is a shame because local elections really matter to our day-to-day lives. On October 17, we will elect people who will make decisions on development, housing, recreation, district-wide school policies and so much more. Plus, in an era of climate change, the stakes have gotten higher, and local officials play important roles in emergency preparedness, housing affordability, partnerships with local First Nations, habitat protection, and food security.
It takes a bit more effort to vote in a local election, given the absence of political parties doing campaign ads and voter mobilization; the lack of party connections to tell the difference between the candidates; confusion over the island’s unique governance structure; and no voter card in the mail telling you where to vote. But, it’s worth making the effort to be an informed voter in a local election.
Candidates can win a local election with very few votes. Because three candidates are running for CRD Area Director, five candidates are running for two Islands Trust Trustee positions and eight candidates are running for three SD64 School Trustee positions, candidates can win with less than half the total votes. This means most newly elected officials will be representing us with the support of very few of us, unless somehow voter turnout on October 17 exceeds recent history.
I’ve been doing non-partisan voter education and outreach around the Oct 17 local election for Transition Salt Spring, and I’m hoping we can boost our turnout to at least 40% and maybe even 50%! I’ve been heartened by good discussions I’ve heard from voters weighing their choices and strategies. I’ve also been impressed by all the candidates in all the races for the effort they are putting into their campaigns, including showing up at candidate forums, responding to questionnaires and sharing their plans on social media.
So, if you are someone who still hasn’t made a plan to vote in the Oct 17 election, there is a lot of accessible information about where the candidates stand on the issues. Also, because we’re on a small island, it’s also not hard to find out from others how effective the various candidates are at leadership, collaboration, and accountability.
If you have already voted or plan to vote, consider reaching out to your friends, family and colleagues to encourage their vote. Make sure they know that they can register to vote at the three polling locations on October 17, Fulford Hall, the Library and Meaden Hall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Maybe they will be inspired by the rare opportunity to vote in two elections on the same day, as October 17 is also one of the Advance Voting days for the Oct 24 provincial election.
Voting is habit-forming, in a good way. Once you start voting for a local election, it will feel weird to sit one out. It feels better living somewhere where more people’s voices are heard, and more people have a connection to the people making some of the key decisions that affect their current and future lives. See you at the polls!
For info on how and where to vote, candidate questionnaire responses, and a voter’s guide to who decides what on Salt Spring: Transition Salt Spring Election 2026 Guide.
David Minkow
Comms and Campaign Lead, Transition Salt Spring