VANCOUVER City Council at a special meeting held on Friday directed staff to add a non-binding plebiscite question to the ballot for the 2026 Vancouver election. 

Voters will be asked to answer the following yes or no questions:

Vancouver has experienced unprecedented levels of street disorder, open-air hard drug use, and disruption to community safety and individual health. Therefore, 

1. Are you in favour of the City of Vancouver strengthening its laws to forbid open-air hard drug (Heroin, Meth, Fentanyl, and Crack) use in public spaces? 
2. Should the City of Vancouver formally ask the Province of BC to convert portions of the old St. Paul’s Hospital, or another similar site, into a secure medical facility that provides acute voluntary and 100-plus involuntary care beds for individuals posing a serious risk to themselves or others due to severe substance use and mental health disorders?

Council’s authority to ask voters a question comes from section 184 of the Vancouver Charter, which allows Council to submit a question to voters for its own information. A non-binding question gives Council information about public opinion. It does not create any legal obligations. 

For more information about the plebiscite process, read the following memo: Plebiscite Question for October Municipal Election.

Voters will receive two ballots: 

• One ballot for Mayor, City Councillors, School Trustees, Park Board Commissioners and the Capital Plan questions
• One ballot for the plebiscite question

Vancouver voters are not required to vote on every ballot question. UBC/UEL voters can only vote for School Trustees and will not be eligible to vote on the plebiscite question.  

Voters have three ways to vote:

• Vote by Mail: Request a vote by mail package online starting September 8, or by calling 3-1-1. Packages include both ballots. 
• Advance Voting: Vote early on October 3, 7, 10 and 13, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 59 voting places across Vancouver. 
• Election Day: Vote on October 17, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at any of 85 voting places. 

For information about the 2026 Vancouver Election, visit vancouver.ca/vote.