Just like it was during the most recent provincial and federal elections, Kamloops residents will be able to request a mail-in ballot for the upcoming municipal election.

Chief Electoral Officer, Amanda Passmore, says it comes after the province made permanent some temporary changes that were put in place at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

“Mail-in ballots are not new, but this just opens it up for any eligible voter to request a mail ballot rather than coming to an in-person polling station either on general voting day or at one of our advanced polls,” she said. “The Local Government Act covers almost all of our election legislation and in there [the province] updated the limitations on who is eligible for mail ballot voting in a municipal election.

“So now that the Local Government Act has removed those stipulations saying [who can request a ballot], we also have to change that to make sure that we are not unnecessarily restricting the public to their rights to access voting.”

Prior to the change, Passmore says only people who were sick, injured, or away from the community around the election could request a mail in ballot.

“What it will mean for us is that we have to order more supplies because we certainly expect an uptick in people opting for the mail ballot option,” Passmore added. “But in other terms or does it really change what we were doing in the past? No. Not in any way that makes me go, ‘uh oh.'”

Details on how you can request a mail-in ballot will be coming by late summer.

It is not clear what this would cost, but Passmore said the City would pick up the tab. She says the City only orders the number of ballots that staff think is appropriate based on the number of eligible voters.

“The ballots get council on voting day but with the right approvals we can put them trough the voting machines in advance of that happening,” Passmore said.

“It is done in a secure format just like we would with an advanced poll. So it is included in the count on voting day and not after like they did in the federal election when they counted it after election day.”

For the latest on the election, go here.