Sixty-two electoral organizations — or slates — are running in the 2018 municipal election campaign, according to Elections B.C.
One of them is Saanich’s United for Saanich, the slate headed by Mayor Richard Atwell, who had previously attacked slates as “destructive” to municipal politics. He has since defended his slate as a necessity.
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The slate has found itself in the middle of a controversy concerning its election brochure — Saanich has asked it to “immediately” stop its distribution, something the slate has refused to do — and a registered third party — Break The Slate — is actively campaigning against it.
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Two registered slates are also running in Victoria — NewCouncil.ca and Together Victoria. Most of the electoral organizations are running in Lower Mainland municipalities. The City of Vancouver has 11 electoral organizations, including one that might not be the most productive when elected — the Work Less Party. More familiar slates running in Vancouver include Vision Vancouver, NPA and COPE, long-established groups in municipal politics.
Surrey features eight slates — 12 if you include the four slates of candidates running in the Surrey School District.
The only communities outside Greater Victoria and the Lower Mainland featuring slates are Nelson and Sechelt, with one slate running in each community.