Alternative Approval Process

An Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is a form of approval that allows electors to indicate whether they are against a local government proposed bylaw moving forward. Electors can voice their opposition by submitting a completed elector response form to the CRD. If 10% of eligible electors complete and submit the form, the AAP has not obtained elector approval. 

There are two other methods of obtaining participating area approval. They are Municipal Consent and Assent Voting (referendum).

Municipal Consent may only be used if the service or loan is for the whole municipality. Consent is provided by municipalities and/or electoral area directors on behalf of their electors. Regional district electoral area directors may only provide consent on behalf in specified circumstances, in most cases an AAP is conducted for each electoral area.

Assent Voting (referendum) allows electors to vote on whether a proposed bylaw would move forward or not based on having a majority of  votes cast in favour. Assent voting is conducted under the rules that generally apply to local elections and as such, is the more costly of the three options available to local governments to obtain elector consent. 

An AAP is less costly and requires fewer resources than a referendum. It gives electors the most flexibility to participate by submitting a completed elector response form over a period of at least 30 days.  

'Participating Area' refers to the municipality, electoral area, or Treaty First Nation (if applicable) that is the participant in a regional district service. 

Qualified Residents & Non-Resident Property Electors of the Participating Area may submit a completed elector response form by the deadline to LegServ@crd.bc.ca. 

Resident Elector: You are entitled to submit an elector response form as a Resident Elector if you are:

• 18 years or older on the date of submission of the elector response form,
• are a Canadian citizen,
• have resided in British Columbia for at least six months, and currently reside in the Participating Area prior to signing the elector response form.

Non-Resident Elector: You may submit an elector response form as a Non-Resident Property Elector if you are:

• 18 years or older on the date of submission of the elector response form,
• are a Canadian citizen,
• have resided in British Columbia for six months,
• have owned and held registered title to property in the Participating Area for 30 days and do not qualify as a Resident Elector.

If there is more than one registered owner of the property (either as joint tenants or tenants in common) only one individual may, with the written consent of the majority, submit an elector response form.

The Capital Regional District accepts completed forms by hand, mail, and email. Submission details will be included on the elector response form. 

Yes. You can contact Legislative Services before the deadline to request your form be returned. You can no longer withdraw your form once the AAP deadline has passed. 

No action is required as you are in favour of the proposed action.  

The 10% threshold is based on the Provincial list of registered resident voters and the CRD list of registered non-resident property electors. 

A notice must be published at least 30 days before the voting submission deadline. The CRD follows the legislative requirements for public notices in accordance with the Local Government Act, Community Charter and the CRD Public Notice Bylaw [PDF/69KB]. Notice is published one time in a print publication and one time on the CRD website under Public Notices. 

As a Non-Resident Property Elector, you can stay informed by visiting our Public Notices page.  

The notice must include:

• A general description of the proposed bylaw, agreement, or other matter.
• The participating area to which the approval applies.
• The deadline for elector response forms to be received.
• A statement that the council or board may proceed with the matter unless 10 percent of the electors in the area indicate the council or board must obtain the assent of the electors before proceeding.
• A statement that elector responses must be in the form established by the board, that the elector response forms are available at the regional district office, and only electors of the participating area to which approval applies are entitled to sign the forms.
• The number of elector response forms required to meet the 10 percent threshold.
• A synopsis of the bylaw that describes the intent of the bylaws, the proposed service area, and the date, time, and place for the public inspection of copies of the bylaw.

The CRD maintains a list of Non-Resident Property Electors for the Juan de Fuca, Salt Spring Island and Southern Gulf Islands electoral areas. You may contact us to check if you are on the list or to find out more about registration.  

You may contact Legislative Services by email, by mail (625 Fisgard St., Victoria, BC, V8W 1R7), or by phone at 250.360.3024 or 1.800.663.4425 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday (excluding statutory holidays). 

No. There is no business or corporate vote in British Columbia. This applies even when the property is partially owned by an individual who is otherwise eligible to submit an elector response form. 

For an AAP you may only vote once, either as a Resident Elector OR as a Non-Resident Property Elector.  

For a regional AAP you may vote only once regardless of how many properties you own.  

When an AAP is conducted separately in each electoral area, a Non-Resident Property Elector may vote once in each electoral area they own property.  

It's wonderful to see electors who are engaged in our communities, and we want to hear from you. You can email the Board. Your email will reach all 24 Board members.  

Only the Corporate Officer and their designate(s) may review forms during an AAP. The Corporate Officer is responsible for the safe keeping of the elector response forms during and after an AAP. The CRD must retain elector response forms as per requirements established in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act once the AAP has been completed. 

After the AAP deadline has passed, the Corporate Officer must determine and certify whether the valid elector response forms submitted met or exceeded the 10% threshold established for the process. This determination is final and conclusive. 

Following certification of the results by the Corporate Officer, the results will be posted on the CRD's website and a report to the CRD Board will be provided at their next regularly scheduled meeting. 

When less than 10% of the eligible electors have submitted an elector response form, participating area approval has been obtained. The results of the AAP are certified by the Corporate Officer and the matter is brought before the Capital Regional District Board at their next regular meeting. 

When consent is not obtained (meaning more than 10% of the eligible electors submitted elector response forms by the AAP deadline) local governments have two choices. They may proceed with assent voting (referendum) within 80 days or put the matter on hold and consider alternatives to the proposed action. 

Elector response forms may have been rejected if they were incomplete or illegible, if the elector submitted more than one form, or if the elector was not qualified to vote.

Elector response forms received after the deadline will not be counted. 

Any questions about the bylaw specifically can be directed to the staff member(s) mentioned in the Public Notice. The notice will provide that staff member's phone number and email address where they can be reached. 

Any questions about the AAP process itself or to obtain an elector response form, you may contact Legislative Services by email, by mail (625 Fisgard St., Victoria, BC, V8W 1R7), or by phone at 250.360.3024 or 1.800.663.4425 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday (excluding statutory holidays).