Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

ELECTION 2020

After hectic few days, Kamloops electoral offices ready for general voting day Saturday

Oct 23, 2020 | 2:50 PM

KAMLOOPS — A day before general voting day, last-minute preparations are happening at the Kamloops-South Thompson electoral office at Sahali Mall.

The voting books have been delivered to each polling station, ready to welcome voters on election day Saturday.

“I think they did an incredible job. Hand-delivered them in the snow to me this morning and they’re out to the voting polls today, so all good,” said electoral officer for Kamloops-South Thompson, Deborah Lipscombe.

The snap election created unique challenges at both electoral offices. Voting books, which have the list of eligible voters and whether they’ve voted, arrived late. With advanced polls ending Wednesday (Oct. 21), they didn’t come to the north office on Thursday night and Friday morning on the south.

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“This morning we had to go through them, check them out and place them in the boxes for the election officials [at each polling station] to pick up. We made it by 11:30, so we’ll good to go,” noted electoral officer for Kamloops-North Thompson Sharon Lyons.

Lipscombe added, “It’s much more challenging for an electoral district like [Kamloops-North Thompson] because [it] has some very distance polls. In Kamloops-South, the further west that we go is Savona and the further east is Chase, so we’re talking about a 45-minute drive. For other ridings, as you go further north of course, they have to take their polling books to far-flung location — First Nations communities.”

Both Kamloops electoral officers expect Saturday to be a little less busy than a usual election day. In the south, 9,800 people voted in advance, while 8,000 cast a ballot early in the Kamloops-North Thompson. There are lots of mail-in ballots to count, as well.

“I’m hoping the weather does not deter people,” said Lipscombe. “The turnout for advanced was so great, but lots of people like to vote on general voting day. I’m expecting we’re going to have a solid turnout.”

Lyons added, “I think it should be fairly steady. We’re getting a lot of mail-out packages received here in the office. You can also drop them in at any voting place from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.”

All you need is to present your voting card or drivers’ license.

According to Elections BC, more than 680,000 British Columbians have already cast their ballot with another 725,000 requesting mail-in ballots. Nearly half a million vote-by-mail packages have been returned.