Kamloops This Week October 21, 2020

Page 1

Vote for DAN HINES bcgreens.ca/dan_hines

Authorized by Sandra Burkholder, financial agent, 647-678-4826

kamloopsthisweek.com kamloopsthisweek kamthisweek

#YKASTRONG

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020 | Volume 33 No. 56

TODAY’S WEATHER Sun and clouds High 8 C Low 13 C

TK’EMLUPS’ COLUMBIA CONCERNS POSITION

SECOND WAVE

First Nation says it does not support pipeline protesters

Residents sound off on safety issues on motel row

Dr. Bonnie Henry confirms next wave as case numbers keep rising

PAGE A10

PAGES A14-15

PAGE A11

Results will remain up in air on election night ELECTION 2020 COVERAGE

JESSICA WALLACE

STAFF REPORTER

jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com

With a record number of British Columbians opting to vote by mail in the provincial election, the province won’t likely have a clear picture of the winning party until weeks after general election day this Saturday. Typically, most ballots can be counted on election night, providing near-certainty about who won before absentee ballots — which include mail-in-ballots, but also other methods of voting and are counted about two weeks after the fact — are tallied. A significant surge in mail-invoter requests this year, however, means election night won’t tell the whole picture. “The final results of the election are always reported after that final count of absentee ballots,” Elections BC communications director Andrew Watson said. “But usually, we have a much better sense of what the outcome’s going to be because we’ve counted 90 per cent of the ballots on election night.” In this election, that election night percentage will be much lower. Elections BC planned for a pandemic election with as much as 35

DEBATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER:

The KTW/Kamloops Chamber of Commerce all-candidates forums were held on Monday night. Read the summaries on pages A5 and A6 MEET THE CANDIDATES:

The final three of the eight profiles of candidates in the two Kamloops ridings can be found on pages A16 and A17 ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE:

Log on to kamloopsthisweek.com at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, to follow the results provincewide and in the two Kamloops ridings

per cent of the electorate voting by mail, equating to 800,000 of the eligible 3.5-million ballots — or 23 per cent of all eligible ballots. The actual number is not far off as Elections BC has received nearly 725,000 vote-by-mail package requests, which equates to about 21 per cent of all registered voters. In Kamloops-North Thompson, there have been 5,744 requests, which equals about 21 per cent of the 44,809 eligible voters. In Kamloops-South Thompson, there have been 8,137 requests, which is about 18 per cent of the 46,345 eligible voters.

The provincial numbers reflect a significant increase over the 6,500 people who voted by mail in the 2017, with that election featuring about 200,000 total absentee ballots, including advance votes. Some variables remain, including individuals who decide to vote in person, despite requesting a mail-in package (which is allowed), and those who voted via other absentee-ballot methods before choosing to vote by mail. Watson said despite the surge in requests for mail-in-voting packages, the practise of counting votes will be the same in 2020 as

in previous provincial elections because the process is legislated via the Election Act to protect election integrity. He said the process to count mail-in ballots includes 13 days of preparatory work after election day, allowing Elections BC to screen ballots to prevent duplicate voting and ensure they were submitted by eligible voters. Screening involves running voter information against voter lists both manually and using technology. Counting follows the nearly two weeks of prep, which means final results won’t be known until early or midNovember. In the 2017 election, it took Elections BC two to three days to count the 200,000 absentee ballots. Using 2017 mail-in ballot counting timelines, British Columbia

wouldn’t know its government for 15 or 16 days after the Oct. 24 election, so Nov. 8 or Nov. 9 would be pegged as the dates. “With volume, those timelines could be extended because we’ve never counted this many ballots before,” Watson said. He said Elections BC understands voters will want to know the results as soon as possible, noting additional people have been hired to count mail-in ballots. “Even after the final count of absentee ballots, there is a six-dayperiod where judicial recounts can be made,” Watson said. “Then, following that period, and any judicial recounts that may occur, the writs of election are returned and the election period formally comes to an end under the act.”

CONDITIONS CHANGE. SO SHOULD YOUR SPEED. Winter driving can double your risk of being in a crash. Slow down and increase your following distance. Learn more at ShiftIntoWinter.ca. Know before you go | DriveBC.ca | ShiftIntoWinter.ca


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.