This blog is courtesy of Okanagan Young Professionals Collective.
All of the information you need can be found on the Elections BC website, a non-partisan office of our legislature that oversees and administers our provincial general elections. We’ve also included electoral Information, local events and other resources below.
Voting 101
How do I Vote?
-
By Mail - Request a vote by mail package by Oct. 17. You’ll need to return it so it is received by Elections BC by 8 p.m. PDT on Saturday, Oct. 24.
-
-
Advance Voting takes place Oct. 15 - Oct. 21 from 8 a.m - 8 p.m.
-
Vote on General Election Day - Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
-
Vote at a District Electoral Office (DEO) - anytime before 4 p.m. Oct. 24, check with your local DEO office location for hours.
-
Where can I vote?
There’s an easy Elections BC web app Where to Vote where you can type in your address and find your local District Electoral Office, Advance Voting locations, and General Election Day voting locations.
The Answers to Your FAQ (links to Elections BC articles)
-
Before You Vote
-
Voting Accessibility
What’s Different Because of COVID-19?
Elections BC has put together a plan with consultation from Dr. Bonnie Henry for safety precautions including physical distancing, sanitization stations, venue capacity limits and verbal eligibility confirmation (instead of signing a book). Face masks are encouraged, but not mandatory.
For the full list, read their article Voting Safety and Covid-19 or watch their Voting Safely video.
Electoral Regions and Candidates for the Central Okanagan:
Find out what electoral district you live in, who your local confirmed candidates are, and what parties they represent at Elections BC.
The electoral districts in the Regional District of the Central Okanagan (Peachland to Lake Country) and confirmed candidates are:
(with links to their official party websites, facebook pages and Kelowna Capital News or Castanet “Meet the Candidate” video interviews if available. If you have a resource or link to add, please contact us)
Kelowna West (map of Electoral District)
-
Magee Mitchell - Independent (Facebook) (Meet the Candidate)
-
Ben Stewart - BC Liberal Party (Facebook) (Meet the Candidate)
-
Peter A. Truch - BC Green Party (Facebook) (Meet the Candidate)
Kelowna - Mission (map of Electoral District)
Kelowna - Lake Country (map of Electoral District)
-
Norm Letnick - BC Liberal Party (Facebook) (Meet the Candidate)
-
Silverado Brooks Socrates - Independent
Penticton (map of Electoral District)
-
Dan Ashton - BC Liberal Party (Facebook) (Meet the Candidate)
-
Keith MacIntyre - Libertarian (Facebook) (Meet the Candidate)
-
Ted Shumaker - BC Green Party (Facebook) (Meet the Candidate)
Local Events
Kelowna Chamber of Commerce - All Candidates Forum - Oct. 20, 2020
As BC's snap election draws closer, the Kelowna Chamber will be gathering local candidates for the upcoming election in three back-to-back-to-back forums on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
The schedule is confirmed as follows:
-
9 a.m. Kelowna - West
-
12 p.m. Kelowna - Mission
-
3 p.m. Kelowna - Lake Country
The event will be livestreamed on their website, with each session lasting 1.5 hrs.
Penticton All Candidates Forum - Oct. 13, 2020
The Penticton Herald All Candidates Forum event was live streamed on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The video is available to rewatch through Castanet.
Other Events
Individual candidates are also hosting their own virtual events and in-person events to educate the public on their platforms. We recommend you visit their facebook pages for the latest information. (This list will continue to be updated or you can submit an event).
Other Resources:
-
Video: BC Elections Leaders’ Debate, Chek News
-
Video: History of Voting Rights in British Columbia, ElectionsBC
-
Video: Parliamentary Democracy in British Columbia, ElectionsBC