Municipalities have hard and fast election dates, the province does not: Linda Annis
Surrey, B.C. (September 22, 2026): Surrey First councillor and candidate for mayor Linda Annis says Premier Eby’s decision to call a provincial election during the civic election is frustrating and disrespectful.
“Municipalities have hard and fast election dates that we cannot change,” noted Annis. “Meanwhile, the provincial government has plenty of flexibility and can really call an election any time it wants. Deciding to call a provincial election during our province-wide municipal elections means voter confusion, and extra competition for volunteers and scarce donor dollars.
“Municipal government is the level of government that is closest to voters, and the provincial government should not have pushed its way into the time and space set aside for municipal elections on October 17. All of us running in municipal election campaigns are going to have to work extra hard to be heard on so many important local issues, and we’ll have to spend a lot of time on the doorstep differentiating municipal and provincial issues that will definitely confuse some voters. This was completely unnecessary and voters are already asking, why.”