(Image Credit: File Photo/CFJC Today)
By Victor Kaisar
Kamloops Votes

‘It’s great for our community’: More than 50 people file paperwork for Kamloops municipal election

Sep 14, 2026 | 4:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — As election season kicks into high gear, the City of Kamloops is preparing for a busy five weeks with more than 50 names currently scheduled to be on the ballot.


In addition to the six candidates for mayor of Kamloops, there are 29 people running for the eight councillor seats along with 16 people for the five school board seats that represent the city. All of those numbers are up from the last municipal election in 2022, and you can find more about the mayoral and councillor candidates here.

“I think everybody wants to see, potentially, a bit of change in Kamloops so it’s great to see the number of options, the number of individuals who are willing to put their names forward, go through the process and potentially be elected for office,” Kamloops Chief Election Officer Alisha Beday told CFJC Today.

“I think it’s great for our community to have the number of candidates who are willing to represent our community.”

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The list of names as they will appear on the ballot will be made official on Monday next week (Sept. 21), as candidates have until 4:00 p.m. this Friday (Sept. 18) to withdraw. The campaign period officially starts on Saturday, Sept. 19, and there are numerous ways to vote in the City of Kamloops – either by mail, during three days of advanced polls (Oct. 7, 10 or 14) or on election day, Oct. 17.

“[We’re hoping people] stay informed,” Beday said. “We have posted on Civic Info, and we have provided information on candidates and their social contact information. Definitely reach out to candidates and understand what their platforms are.”

“There will definitely be some forums as well, so we encourage everyone to attend the forums so that they can have an idea on [who] the candidates are and what their platforms are.”

All five incumbents on the Kamloops-Thompson School District’s (SD73) Board of Education that represent Area 1 (Kamloops) are up for re-election, along with 11 challengers. Two candidates – Bronwen Bird in Area 3 (Barriere area) and Diane Jules Area 4 (Chase area) – have been acclaimed, while trustee elections will be held in Area 2 (Clearwater area) and Area 5 (Logan Lake area).

Elsewhere, in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, there will be elections held in two of the 10 electoral areas. Incumbent Jim Smith will go up against former director Sally Watson in Area ‘E’, while incumbent Tricia Thorpe will be challenged by former director Steven Rice in Area ‘I’.

More information regarding the 2026 municipal election in the City of Kamloops is available here and here. People looking for information on where and how to vote in the TNRD or in other Kamloops-area municipalities can contact their local municipal office.

You can also find CFJC’s coverage of the upcoming election in Kamloops and in surrounding communities here.

by Victor Kaisar

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