Elections, By-elections & Alternative Approval Processes

Municipal elections, by-elections and Alternative Approval Processes are governed by strict legislative requirements, tight timelines and significant public scrutiny. There is very little room for error, and the consequences of getting a detail wrong can be serious, both legally and in terms of public trust.

At Ferrero Forward Consulting, we bring direct, hands-on experience running these processes, not just advising on them from the outside.

Real Experience as Corporate Officer and Chief Election Officer

Guillermo served as Manager of Legislative Services for the City of Nanaimo, a position designated as Corporate Officer under the Community Charter, and acted as the City's Chief Election Officer. In that role, he successfully directed a full municipal general election, managing every stage of the process, from planning and legislative compliance through to voting day and results.

That experience carried through his career as a Chief Administrative Officer, where he continued to oversee legislative services, corporate governance and election-related responsibilities for the organizations he led.

We understand these processes because we've run them ourselves, under real deadlines, real legislative obligations and real public attention, not just studied them.

What We Support

• General Local Elections: full election planning, legislative compliance, voter services, candidate and elector information, results reporting and post-election requirements
• By-elections: timely, legislatively compliant processes to fill vacancies between general elections
• Alternative Approval Processes (AAP): proper design, notice, execution and certification of AAPs, ensuring the process withstands scrutiny and meets all legislative requirements
• Chief Election Officer / Deputy Chief Election Officer services: available to act in this capacity directly for municipalities that need experienced, independent election leadership
• Election readiness reviews: assessing a municipality's election preparedness, policies and procedures well before an election is called
• Training and support: for Corporate Officers, Deputy Corporate Officers and election staff who are managing these processes for the first time, or want an experienced second set of eyes

Why This Work Matters

An election or Alternative Approval Process that isn't run correctly doesn't just create legal risk. It can undermine public confidence in the result itself. Getting it right the first time, with full legislative compliance and clear communication to the public, protects both the municipality and the integrity of the democratic process it's responsible for.

Why Ferrero Forward?

We've been the Corporate Officer and Chief Election Officer accountable for getting these processes right, not simply consultants advising from a distance. That first-hand, hands-on experience means we understand not only the legislative requirements, but the practical realities of running an election well, under real timelines and real public scrutiny.