British Columbia · City of Williams Lake

How to run for Mayor in Williams Lake

A plain-English guide to the 2026 cycle — eligibility, deadlines, paperwork, and key local contacts for mayor candidates in Williams Lake, British Columbia.

Election day: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Population (2021)
10,947
Head of council
1 Mayor
Term
4 years
Wards
At-large.

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for mayor in Williams Lake, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Williams Lake, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Williams Lake (or the spouse of one).
  • Not legally disqualified from running.
Common disqualifications include sitting judges, sitting MPs / Senators / MPPs (must resign before filing), municipal employees (must take an unpaid leave or resign), and people serving a sentence in a penal institution.

Step 2

What does the mayor do?

The Mayor is the head of council in Williams Lake — chairs council meetings, is the public face of the city, and votes alongside councillors on by-laws, the annual budget, and major staffing decisions.

Cariboo Regional District (CRD-Cariboo). The Mayor (currently Surinderpal Rathor) sits on the CRD board, with Coun. Scott Nelson as alternate director. The CRD has 12 electoral area directors and 4 municipal directors (Williams Lake, Quesnel, 100 Mile House, Wells).

RoleSeatsTermNotes
Mayor14 yrsAt-large, FPTP.

Step 3

The nomination process

Filing happens at the local Chief Election Officer, in person during regular office hours and on nomination day until 2:00 PM. You'll need to bring:

  • Nomination paper, signed in the presence of the clerk or a commissioner of oaths.
  • 2 / 10 / 25 nominators (varies by municipal bylaw) from eligible electors of Williams Lake.Most cities over 5,000 residents require 25 nominators. Check your municipality’s nomination package for the exact number.
  • Government-issued photo ID showing your name and qualifying address.
  • Filing fee: Up to $100 (refundable on disclosure filing). Set by municipal bylaw; many smaller municipalities charge nothing.

Where to file

Office of the Chief Election Officer / Corporate Services, Williams Lake City Hall, 450 Mart Street, Williams Lake BC V2G 1N3 (by appointment during the nomination window).

Step 4

Key dates — 2026 cycle

DateEvent
Sep 1, 4:00 p.m.Nomination period opens
Sep 11, 11:00 p.m.Nomination period closes (last day to file)
October 17, 2026Election day
November 6, 2026New term of council begins
March 27, 2027Campaign financial statement due

Missing the financial-statement deadline can trigger automatic disqualification from running in the next cycle and forfeiture of your filing fee.

Step 5

Campaign finance

Williams Lake runs under British Columbia's Local Government Act + Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. The headline numbers for the 2026 cycle:

Per-individual contribution
$1,429.70 per campaign (2026, indexed annually by Elections BC)
max from any one person to your campaign
Aggregate / additional rules
Same total can be split across candidates
across all candidates in the same municipality
Spending limit
Set by Elections BC; published by May 31 of the election year
the local Chief Election Officer issues your written limit after nominations close
Corporate and union donations are banned. Cash gifts of $25 or less generally don't need to be tracked individually; anything more must be by cheque, debit, credit, money order, or e-transfer that traces to the contributor.

Local

Specific to Williams Lake

  • Largest urban centre in the Cariboo region. Major regional issues: forestry, wildfire response/recovery (2017 / 2023 fires), Tsilhqot'in Nation (Xeni Gwet'in / Yuneŝit'in / etc.) and Secwépemc Nation reconciliation, Stampede economic role.
  • Council members serve on shared committees with School District 27 and Thompson Rivers University (Williams Lake campus).
  • Sign bylaws: standard rules; check with CEO for Highway 97 corridor restrictions.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Williams Lake also choose:

  • Councillor — At-large, plurality block voting.
  • School Trustee — SD27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) — SD27 covers Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, surrounding Cariboo region; trustees by trustee electoral area.

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Williams Lake?

Considering a different office? We have plain-English guides for every position on the Williams Lake ballot:

This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Always confirm details with the local Chief Election Officer and the most recent provincial candidate guide before filing. Last reviewed 2026-05-01.

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