Doerkson vows to ban overlapping elections if Conservatives win Conservative leader Doerkson promises a 'Respect Local Democracy Act' to prevent provincial snap elections from overlapping with municipal contests, criticizing the current timing as costly and unfair to local candidates. B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has pledged to introduce a bill preventing local and provincial elections from overlapping if his party wins the upcoming Oct. 24 snap election. Criticizing the current timing, which sees the provincial campaign overshadowing municipal contests, Doerkson argues the move is costly and undermines local democracy. The NDP defends the timing, citing the need for a strong mandate on trade issues, but acknowledges the overlap poses challenges for voters and candidates alike.