
The first chance in Kamloops to vote in this month’s provincial election is underway, with six advanced polling stations open today in the city for voters in both the Kamloops Centre and Kamloops-North Thompson ridings.
Kamloops Centre voters have four options starting today, including Our Lady of Perpetual Help on Tranquille, St. Paul’s Cathedral at 3rd and Nicola downtown, the Kamloops Methodist Church on Windbreak, as well as the Fairfield Inn on Hugh Allen Drive.
Two Kamloops polling stations are open for Kamloops-North Thompson constituents, including Moccsasin Square Gardens on Tk’emlups and the Hal Rodgers Center on Summit Drive.
A third polling station in Valleyview will open for advanced voting on Sunday at Orchards Walk.
Advanced voting in other communities in Kamloops-North Thompson doesn’t start until tomorrow, with the community halls in Chase, Barriere and Clearwater to open on Friday and Saturday, and again on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Early voting is also underway in Cache Creek at the Community Hall on Stage Road today and tomorrow for voters in the re-drawn Cariboo-Chilcotin riding.
The Sorrento Drop In Society on Passchendaele Road is open today for advanced voting in the Salmon Arm-Shuswap contest, while the North Shuswap Community Hall in Celista will be open on Friday and Saturday.
Logan Lake voters can cast early ballots starting Friday at the Fire Hall for the Fraser-Nicola contest, while advanced voting in the riding starts today at the Merritt Civic Centre.
All advanced polling stations are open from 8am to 8pm, with details on these locations and others available here.
General election day is October 19th.
BC Conservative candidates ahead in the region
As the advanced voting begins, voting analysis site 338Canada is projecting likely victories for the BC Conservative candidates in Kamloops.
Incumbent MLA Peter Milobar, elected as a BC Liberal last time and now running for the BC Conservatives, holds a 52 to 39 percent advantage over the NDP’s Kamal Grewal in Kamloops Centre. 338Canada currently lists Kamloops-Centre as a “likely” win for the BC Conservatives.
338Canada has BC Conservative candidate Ward Stamer with a 59 to 35 percent lead over the NDP’s Maddi Genn in Kamloops-North Thompson. That riding is considered “safe” for the BC Conservatives by 338Canada.
BC Conservative Lorne Doerkson holds an even wider margin of likely support in the redrawn Cariboo-Chilcotin riding, which now encompasses communities west of Kamloops including Tobiano, Savona, Ashcroft and Cache Creek . 338Canada shows Doerkson with a 65 to 35 percent advantage over NDP candidate Michael Moses. 338Canada deems that riding “safe” for the Conservatives.
Despite having BC United-turned-independent candidate Greg McCune in the running, BC Conservative candidate David L. Williams is strongly favored to win the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding, with 338Canada currently showing him with a 54 to 34 percent advantage over NDP candidate Sylvia Lindgren. BC Green Party candidate Jed Wiebe is polling at around 9 percent support, while the two independents running in Salmon Arm-Shuswap — including McCune — have a combined 4 percent level of voter support. 338Canada is calling Salmon Arm-Shuswap “safe” for the BC Conservatives.
The one race in the region which could swing in either direction is Fraser-Nicola, which includes Logan Lake and Merritt. That riding is currently tracking within 338Canada’s margin-of-error, with BC Conservative candidate Tony Luck holding a four point edge over the NDP’s Francyne Joe, who is currently polling at 44 percent support, just behind Luck at 48 percent. BC Green Party candidate Jonah Timms is tracking at around 8 percent. 338Canada lists Fraser-Nicola as “leaning” BC Conservative at this point.
Editors Note: 338Canada doesn’t base its projections on its own surveys, instead drawing its analysis from regional and provincial polling, as well as historical voting trends, somewhat widening the margin of error compared to direct polling.