 Welcome to the final of four presentations to help prospective candidates learn more about BC general local elections. This year's general local election may take place during a pandemic. It may be important for prospective candidates to contact their local government to understand any procedures they have in place to administer this year's general local election during COVID-19. So you've been declared a candidate and have been busy campaigning. This presentation will give you an overview of the different voting opportunities, your responsibilities, and taking office if you are elected. All local governments will hold advanced voting on Wednesday, October 5, 2022. Local governments with populations greater than 5,000 are required to hold at least two advanced voting opportunities. Check your local government's election procedure bylaw for details on advanced voting opportunities. Your local government will also publish details about advanced voting. Candidates may wish to vote in advance because they may be busy on general voting day. Local governments may hold special voting opportunities at places like hospitals and long-term care facilities to provide electors who may not otherwise be able to attend a voting place, an opportunity to cast their ballots. Through their election procedure bylaw, local governments may choose to allow electors to vote by mail ballots. If they do, all electors are eligible to vote by mail and can contact their local government to find out more information. The big day, what can you expect on general voting day? General voting day will take place on Saturday, October 15, 2022. Voting places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Your local government will provide you with information about the location of voting places. Candidates may only be present at a voting place to cast their ballot, but must not campaign or place signs within 100 meters of a voting place during special, advance, or general voting. It is an election offense to campaign within 100 meters of a voting place during voting proceedings. After the polls close, election officials will begin to count ballots. Candidates and candidate representatives, like scrutineers or the official agent, may observe the ballot counting process. The chief election officer, or CEO, will provide candidates with information about observing the ballot counting. The chief election officer may release preliminary results after the ballots have been counted on general voting day, while official results must be announced by October 19, 2022, at 4 p.m. If the same number of votes were received by two or more candidates, the chief election officer must refer the election for judicial recount. Under specific legislative circumstances, an eligible elector, candidate representative, or the CEO, may apply to the provincial court for a judicial recount. This application must be made by October 24, 2022. After the general local election, all candidates that have been elected or acclaimed or have withdrawn or lost the election must file a campaign financing disclosure statement with elections BC by January 13, 2023. This requirement also applies to electoral organizations and third-party sponsors. Congratulations! You've made it through the election, and now you can take the oath of office and attend your first meeting. Every municipal council member and electoral area director must make an oath of office or solemn affirmation before they can assume their positions. Oaths and affirmations must be made within 45 days after the official election results are announced. Municipal council members formally take office at the first regularly scheduled council meeting following the general elections, which must be in the first 10 days of November. The term of office for regional district electoral area directors begins at the first regularly scheduled board meeting in November. There is a new legislative requirement that elected officials must consider whether council should establish or review its current code of conduct within the first six months of taking office. Thank you for making a commitment to your local community. Please watch the videos available on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs webpages, on the characteristics of locally elected officials, local government decision-making, and the roles and responsibilities of locally elected officials.