RDN Board Voting

LATEST NEWS: The RDN has submitted the proposal for revised board voting structure (using Option 3 as outlined below) to the province in May 2026 and are awaiting their response regarding the request.

Background:

The population-based voting formula used by the RDN Board needs to change because our region is growing. Learn about how the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) Board voting formula works when they are making decisions.

Understanding the RDN’s Voting Formula

The RDN uses a system set out in B.C.’s Local Government Act to decide:

• How many directors sit on the RDN Board and
• How many votes each director gets.

Both depend on population.

Right now, the system uses:

• A voting unit of 2,500 people and
• A voting divisor of five.

As the population—especially in Nanaimo—is growing quickly, this formula is expected to no longer work after the 2026 Census is applied in 2027. Therefore, the RDN is exploring ways to fix this before the 2026 Census numbers take effect. The voting formula matters because it shapes how the RDN Board makes decisions for the region.

When the RDN was formed in 1967, the voting unit was set at 3,000. It was later changed several times as follows:

• In February 1973 the voting unit was amended to 2,000;
• In February 1975 the voting unit was amended to 1,500; and
• In November 1982 the voting unit was amended to 2,500 where it remains to this day.

Proposal the RDN Board is considering

The proposed changes (Option 3: Changes to the voting unit and voting divisor) include:

1. Increasing the voting unit from 2,500 people to 2,600 (this number determines how many votes each area gets); and,
2. Changing the voting divisor from 5 to 6.7 (this determines how many directors each community needs to appoint to the RDN Board based on how many votes it receives).

With this change the City of Nanaimo would receive more votes to reflect its growing population but would only need to appoint seven directors. The City of Parksville is also expected to gain one vote due to population growth but keep the same number of directors. The District of Lantzville, Town of Qualicum Beach and the seven electoral areas would keep the same number of directors and votes. This proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs for approval.

The RDN Board is considering not just the math but also values such as fairness, equity, balance, reasonableness and inclusive regional governance.

How to learn more and share your thoughts

• Visit our FAQ's
• Check out our documents or important links
• Ask a question about this project at the Q&As tab below

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the RDN!