Kamloops-area residents join BC voters in rejecting electoral changes

The two Kamloops-area ridings voted overwhelmingly to maintain the current system. Nearly 69 per cent of voters in the Kamloops-North riding and 66% in Kamloops-South sided with B.C.’s current system.

While the result didn’t surprise Kamloops South MLA Todd Stone, the margin of victory did.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that over 61 percent of British Columbians would opt for one side or the other,” said the Liberal MLA. “It’s astounding that after the NDP-Greens pulled out every single trick and tool in the toolbox that they could to manipulate this referendum process, that two-thirds of British Columbians saw through it.”

Local proportional representation advocate Gisela Ruckert was disappointed with the result but pleased with the exercise.

“While the result isn’t what we were hoping for, it’s certainly a decisive result and we can recognize that.”

Ruckert represented Fair Vote Kamloops during the campaign.

Elections BC says 1,403,358 voting packages were returned by the Dec. 7 deadline, representing a return rate of 42.6 per cent.

by Dave Barry

Kamloops-area residents join BC voters in rejecting electoral changes

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