FAQs About
LEADERSHIP
KEY DATES & TIMELINE
WHAT ARE THE KEY DATES I NEED TO KNOW?
The following dates govern the leadership election process:
I MISSED THE MEMBERSHIP DEADLINE. CAN I STILL VOTE?
No. The membership deadline was April 18, 2026 at 5:00 pm. You must have been an active member, as defined below, by that date to be eligible to vote. No exceptions are available.
WHEN WILL THE RESULTS BE ANNOUNCED?
Results will be announced at the Leadership Convention on May 30, 2026. At each count round, both the weighted results and the results by electoral district shall be made public.
MEMBERSHIP & ELIGIBILITY
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE LEADERSHIP ELECTION?
To vote, you must be:
- A Canadian citizen or permanent resident residing in British Columbia
- At least 14 years of age
- Not a member or suspended member of another provincial political party
- An active member of the BC Conservative Party by April 18, 2026 at 5:00 pm.
MY MEMBERSHIP IS IN THE GRACE PERIOD. AM I ELIGIBLE TO VOTE?
If your membership is within the 90-day grace period following its expiry, you must renew before April 18, 2026 at 5:00 pm to be eligible to vote. A lapsed membership that is not renewed by the deadline will not qualify.
CAN I BUY A MEMBERSHIP FOR A FAMILY MEMBER?
Generally, each person must purchase their own membership personally using their own credit card. However, a limited exception exists: you may purchase memberships for immediate family members (spouse, children, parents) who ordinarily reside in the same household, provided the membership is paid using money that belongs to you and is not reimbursed. Prepaid credit cards, corporate cards, and cash are not accepted. This exception may be subject to verification by the Returning Officer.
WHAT PAYMENT METHODS ARE ACCEPTED FOR MEMBERSHIP?
Memberships may only be purchased by personal credit card belonging to the individual named as the member, or by personal cheque.
The following are prohibited: prepaid credit cards, cash, and corporate cards.
Memberships purchased with prohibited payment methods will be rejected.
MY ADDRESS HAS RECENTLY CHANGED. WILL I STILL BE ELIGIBLE?
Membership addresses must match the Elections BC voter file. If you have recently moved and your address does not match, the Party may contact you to resolve the discrepancy before ballots are sent. To avoid issues, ensure your Party membership information reflects your current address as soon as possible.
I AM NOT ON THE ELECTIONS BC VOTER LIST. CAN I STILL BE A MEMBER?
Yes. One of the criteria for a member eligible to vote is if they are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident residing in British Columbia. Permanent residents, youth or new residents will likely not be on the Elections BC voter list. Adult members, prior to voting, will have to provide as part of their identity verification proof of citizenship or permanent residency. Members on the Elections BC voter list will not have to show proof of citizenship.
IDENTITY VERIFICATION
WHY DO I NEED TO VERIFY MY IDENTITY?
The Leadership Election Rules require all eligible members to verify their identity before receiving a ballot. This ensures the integrity of the vote and confirms that the person casting a ballot is the actual member they claim to be. Verification is mandatory — you will not receive voting credentials without completing it.
HOW DOES IDENTITY VERIFICATION WORK?
Verification is conducted online through a company called Persona. Starting on April 27, 2026, eligible members will receive an email containing a personalized authorization link. You will use that link to complete the verification process online at a time of your choosing. You must complete verification by May 20, 2026 at 11:59 pm.
WHAT IDENTIFICATION DO I NEED TO PROVIDE?
You must provide government-issued identification that, individually or in combination, establishes your name and address. This must match the information you provided when purchasing your membership. Adult members, if not on the Elections BC voter list, must also provide a proof of citizenship or permanent residency.
Accepted government identification (18+)
BC Driver’s License
BC Identification Card (BCID)
BC Services Card
Passport
Citizenship Certificate
NEXUS Card
Permanent Resident Card
Certificate of Indian Status
Canada Firearms License (PAL)
Secondary identification
Property tax assessment notice (current year)
BC Hydro statement (within 90 days)
Fortis BC statement (within 90 days)
Bank statements (within 90 days)
Credit Card statements (within 90 days)
ICBC registration (current year)
Municipal water/sewer bill (current year)
CRA – Income tax assessment (current year)
Government of Canada / BC Government cheque stub (current year)
Government of Canada Child Tax benefit / CPP / EI / OAS statement (current year)
Telus/Shaw high-speed internet with SERVICE address (within 90 days)
Not accepted:
Telus/Shaw/Rogers high-speed internet statement BILLING address (i.e. does not include SERVICE) address
Mobile phone bill statements
Netflix / Amazon Prime / Apple TV / etc. Streaming video statements
Costco Membership / BCAA / Etc.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY VERIFICATION EMAIL?
Verification emails will begin going out to eligible members on April 27, 2026. If you are eligible and have not received an email by early May, please check your spam or junk folder first, then contact the Party at helpdesk@conservativebc.ca or 604-330-3554.
WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO COMPLETE VERIFICATION?
You must complete identity verification by May 20, 2026 at 11:59 pm. Members who do not verify by this deadline will not receive voting credentials and will be unable to vote.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY IDENTITY CANNOT BE VERIFIED?
If the Returning Officer is unable to verify your identity, you will not receive a ballot. The Returning Officer’s decisions on voter eligibility are final and not subject to any appeal, including to a court or tribunal.
If your verification submission is rejected, you will receive an email notification with brief reasons. In most cases, you will be able to attempt verification again up until the deadline on May 20 at 11:59pm.
IS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION SAFE WITH PERSONA?
Yes. Data is stored in an encrypted format. Your biometric information will be stored for the lesser of: i) 3 years or ii) the time the Leadership Organizing Committee authorizes the destruction of electronic records related to the ballots. Persona provides verification services for large companies, including Tesla, Square, OpenAI and many others.
CAN I VERIFY IN-PERSON?
The Party is hosting in-person verification support at the attached dates, times, and locations.
Please note: the verification process is identical whether you complete it at home or in person and still uses the online verification system Persona.
In-person verification support simply provides hands-on assistance if you need it.
VOTING CREDENTIALS
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY VOTING CREDENTIALS?
Voting credentials will begin being sent on May 9, 2026 to members who have completed identity verification by May 7, 2026. Members who verify after May 7 will receive their credentials on an ongoing basis following successful verification.
Note that the voting period does not open until May 23, 2026 at 8:00 am, so receiving credentials before that date does not mean voting is open yet.
I COMPLETED VERIFICATION ON PERSONA BUT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED MY VOTING CREDENTIALS. WHO DO I CALL TO HELP?
First, check your spam or junk folder. If you have completed identity verification and still have not received credentials, contact the CPBC Member Help Desk at 604-330-3554 or helpdesk@conservativebc.ca.
The CPBC Member Help Desk is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
CAN I SHARE MY VOTING CREDENTIALS WITH SOMEONE ELSE?
No. Members must not allow another person to use their voting credentials or vote on their behalf. This is a strict requirement under the Rules. Any member found to have shared credentials or voted on behalf of another person may have their vote disqualified.
CASTING YOUR VOTE
HOW AND WHEN DO I VOTE?
Voting is conducted electronically through Simply Voting.
The voting window opens on May 23, 2026 at 8:00 am and closes on May 29, 2026 at 8:00 am. You will use the credentials sent to you to access the secure voting system and submit your ballot.
HOW DOES THE PREFERENTIAL BALLOT WORK?
There are five candidates and the election uses a preferential (ranked) ballot. You will be asked to rank the candidates in order of your preference, where 1 is your first choice, 2 is your second choice, and so on.
You are not required to rank all candidates.
Elections PEI has this helpful YouTube video to explain the preferential ballot process.
HOW ARE VOTES COUNTED AND WINNER DETERMINED?
Each of BC’s 93 electoral districts is allocated 100 points (or one point per ballot cast if fewer than 100 ballots are cast in that district). Points are distributed among candidates proportionally based on first-choice votes within each district and totalled province-wide.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of province-wide points on the first count, the candidate with the fewest points is eliminated and their supporters’ second-choice votes are redistributed. This continues until one candidate exceeds 50% of the province-wide points. After each round, both province-wide and per-district results are made public.
IS MY BALLOT SECRET?
Yes. The leadership vote is conducted by secret ballot.
CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE AFTER SUBMITTING IT?
No.
CANDIDATES & THE NOMINATION PROCESS
WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES IN THIS LEADERSHIP RACE?
There are five (5) candidates who will be listed on the ballot in alphabetical order by last name:
- Iain BLACK
- Caroline ELLIOTT
- Kerry-Lynne FINDLAY
- Yuri FULMER
- Peter MILOBAR.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A CANDIDATE?
To be eligible to run, a person was required to: be a member in good standing; be eligible for election to the BC Legislature under the Election Act; obtain written nominations from at least 250 members across at least five different regions; pay a $5,000 application fee; complete and submit an application form to LEOC; and provide written undertakings regarding party unity. The nomination deadline was February 15, 2026.
CAN A CANDIDATE BE DISQUALIFIED?
Yes. The Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) may recommend disqualification to the Party’s Board of Directors, which has the authority to remove a candidate from the ballot. Grounds for disqualification include breaches of the Rules, conduct that brings the Party into disrepute, or failure to comply with financial or other requirements. All such decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
PROCESS INTEGRITY & ADMINISTRATION
WHO IS RUNNING THIS ELECTION?
The election is administered by the Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC), appointed by the Party Executive on December 30, 2025. A Returning Officer appointed by the Party’s Board of Directors oversees the conduct and integrity of the vote. LEOC members are required to act in a completely neutral manner throughout the process.
CAN I OBSERVE OR MONITOR THE VOTE COUNT?
Representatives of LEOC and each Leadership Contestant (or a designated representative) are entitled to monitor the vote to ensure compliance with the Rules and the integrity of the process. General members do not have a separate right to observe the count.
CAN LEOC DECISIONS BE APPEALED?
No. All decisions of LEOC, the Returning Officer, and the Board of Directors (with respect to candidate disqualification) are final and not subject to appeal — including to any court, tribunal, or other external body. All Leadership Contestants have signed undertakings agreeing to accept LEOC and Board decisions.
PROCESS INTEGRITY & ADMINISTRATION
HOW WILL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION BE USED?
Your membership information (name, address, contact details, and membership dates) is kept confidential and used only for Party purposes authorized by the Board of Directors. Membership lists are not sold or disclosed, and are not subject to inspection under the Societies Act. All Leadership Contestants and their campaigns are also required to comply with applicable privacy laws and the Party’s privacy policies.
WILL CAMPAIGNS BE CONTACTING ME?
Candidates and their teams are permitted to contact members, but are required to adhere to Party and LEOC rules regarding permitted volumes, timeframes, frequency, and methods of contact. Campaigns are prohibited from using your data for any purpose beyond this specific leadership election and must destroy exported Party data after the race concludes.
GETTING HELP
WHO DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS?
We can be reached at:
604-330-3554.
The Party office is staffed between 11:00am and 7:00pm, Monday to Friday.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE OFFICAL RULES AND PROCEDURES?
You can read the Rules online here.