Tri-Cities votes today: 2026 municipal election guide

Voters across Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody head to the polls today, Saturday, October 17, 2026, for the B.C. general local election. Polls everywhere in the Tri-Cities open at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

General local elections are held across British Columbia every four years on the third Saturday in October. This one decides who runs all three Tri-Cities city halls and the local school district for the next four years.

What you are voting for

The ballot shape is the same in all three cities. In Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, voters elect one mayor, six city councillors and two school trustees. You do not need to fill in every category: a ballot still counts if you vote for fewer than the maximum number of candidates, and you do not need to vote in every category.

The school trustee seats matter more than many voters realize. Trustees set the direction of the public school district that serves the three cities, approving budgets and deciding on everything from catchment boundaries to new school projects in some of the fastest-growing neighbourhoods in the province.

Where to vote in Coquitlam

Coquitlam voters can cast a ballot at any of the city's voting locations, all open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and all wheelchair accessible with curbside voting available. Locations are spread across the city, mostly in schools, including:

• Maillardville Community Centre, 1200 Cartier Avenue
• Pinetree Community Centre, 1260 Pinetree Way
• Victoria Community Hall, 3435 Victoria Drive
• Gleneagle Secondary School, 1195 Lansdowne Drive
• Como Lake Middle School, 1121 King Albert Avenue
• Smiling Creek Elementary School, 3456 Princeton Avenue
• Eagle Ridge Elementary School, 1215 Falcon Drive
• Harbour View Elementary School, 960 Lillian Street

In total Coquitlam lists about two dozen voting places, from Alderson Elementary on Gauthier Avenue in the south to Bramblewood Elementary on Panorama Drive in the northeast. The full list and a voting locations map are on the city's website.

Advance voting ran through the first half of October at Town Centre Park Community Centre, Centennial Pavilion and Victoria Community Hall, so turnout watchers will be comparing today's numbers against those advance totals.

Where to vote in Port Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam has nine polling stations, all open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.:

• Blakeburn Elementary, 1040 Riverside Drive
• Castle Park Elementary, 1144 Confederation Drive
• Cedar Drive Elementary, 3150 Cedar Drive
• Central Elementary, 2260 Central Avenue
• Hyde Creek Recreation Centre, 1379 Laurier Avenue
• Kilmer Elementary, 1575 Knappen Street
• Kwayhquitlum Middle, 3280 Flint Street
• The Outlet, 2248 McAllister Avenue
• Westwood Elementary, 3610 Hastings Street

The city notes you can vote at any polling station, and there are no voter cards in this election: bring two pieces of ID, one of them with a photo.

Where to vote in Port Moody

Port Moody voters choose between four voting places, all open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.:

• Port Moody Recreation Complex Gymnasium, 300 Ioco Road
• Kyle Centre, 125 Kyle Street
• Heritage Mountain Community Centre, 200 Panorama Place
• Glenayre Community Centre, 492 Glencoe Drive

Port Moody voters mark one mayor, six councillors and two school trustees. The city held advance voting on October 7 and October 10 at the Port Moody Recreation Complex. Phones, cameras and any recording devices must be turned off and put away before you enter a voting place, and pets other than service animals are not permitted inside.

Who can vote

The rules are the same across the province. To vote as a resident elector you must be 18 or older on general voting day, a Canadian citizen, a resident of B.C. for at least the six months immediately before registration, and a resident of the municipality where you cast your ballot.

Not registered yet? No problem. All three cities let you register at the polling station when you arrive to vote. The cities use the provincial list of voters, so if you voted in a recent provincial election you are likely already on it.

Accessibility is built in at every location. Coquitlam offers chairs for waiting voters, magnifying glasses for reading ballots, and help from election officials for anyone who has difficulty reading, writing or marking a ballot. Port Moody notes that voters who need assistance, including translation services, may bring a support person or translator into the voting place with them.

Two elections, one month

British Columbians are voting twice this month. The 2026 provincial general election follows on Saturday, October 24, exactly one week after the local vote. The two elections are run separately, with different ballots, different rules and often different voting places, so do not assume the school gym you visit today is where you will vote next weekend. For the provincial vote, check Elections BC.

What happens tonight

Polls close at 8 p.m. sharp. Ballots are then counted at the voting places, and results are expected to roll in through the evening on all three city websites. Local races in the Tri-Cities are often decided by small margins, and with council seats across all three cities up for grabs, tonight's results will shape everything from housing approvals to park budgets through 2030.

We will update this story when the new mayors and councils are known.