British Columbia · City of Coquitlam

How to run for School Trustee in Coquitlam

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

Election day: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Population (2021)
148,625
Boards
943 seats
Term
4 years
Wards
—

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for school trustee in Coquitlam, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Coquitlam, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Coquitlam (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 school trustee do?

School trustees represent voters on a school board and oversee policy, budgets, and the hiring of senior staff for public schools in Coquitlam.

RoleSeatsTermNotes
School Trustee (SD 43 Coquitlam)9 across SD 434 yrsDistricts cover Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody — Coquitlam-area seats apportioned per SD 43 trustee bylaw

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 Coquitlam.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

Coquitlam City Hall, 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam V3B 7N2, City Clerk's office, by appointment with the Chief Election Officer.

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

Coquitlam 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 Coquitlam

  • Open mayoral race for the first time since 2008.
  • TransLink / Evergreen extension politics dominate transportation files.
  • Mail ballots available; standard advance voting Oct 7 + 14, plus typically additional days.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Coquitlam also choose:

  • Mayor — At-large, FPTP — Richard Stewart, mayor since 2008, has signaled he is "handing over the reins"
  • Councillor — At-large, plurality block

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Coquitlam?

Considering a different office? We have plain-English guides for every position on the Coquitlam 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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