Penticton residents will be heading back to the polls on April 5, 2025 in a byelection to replace former Penticton councillor Amelia Boultbee, who became the new MLA for Penticton-Summerland in the Oct. 19 provincial election.
Image Credit: Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative
January 15, 2025 - 3:20 PM
It’s official. The City of Penticton will be holding a byelection on Saturday, April 5 to replace newly-elected Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee.
Boultbee asked for and was granted an official leave of absence this past summer halfway through her four-year term as a member of Penticton council after she decided to run in the provincial election as an acclaimed nominee for the B.C. Conservative Party.
Following a lengthy campaign, Boultbee was victorious during the Oct. 19 provincial election, narrowly edging out NDP candidate Tina Lee by less than 300 votes.
Boultbee immediately resigned her seat on Penticton council, forcing the upcoming byelection to replace her as the current term of mayor and council remains until the October 2026 municipal election.
The City of Penticton has announced a special meeting of council will be held to begin the process of holding a by-election in the spring.
At the Thursday, Jan. 16 special meeting, council will be asked to approve the appointment of Angie Collison as Chief Election Officer and the appointment of two deputies, Paula McKinnon and Hayley Anderson.
“A general voting day for the election has been set for Saturday, April 5, 2025,” Collison, who is the City’s corporate officer, writes in her report to council.
She also notes the Chief Election Officer must set a general voting day for the election, which must be on a Saturday no later than 80 days after the date the Chief Election Officer was appointed.
The regular council meetings falls outside the 80 days, which requires the special meeting.
Candidate nomination packages will be available for download from the City of Penticton website or pick up at city hall, starting on Jan. 17.
Nomination documents will be accepted at city hall starting Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Feb. 28.
Submitted nomination documents will be publicly available on the city’s website from the time of delivery until 30 days after the declaration of the election results.
Aside from general voting day on April 5, two advanced polls will be scheduled for March 26 and March 27. All voting will take place at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.
As in past elections, residents may choose to vote by mail ballot.
Any eligible voters can request a mail ballot closer to the date of voting by contacting election@penticton.ca.
The budget for the byelection is estimated at $85,000, which will be funded through general surplus.
By only having two advance voting opportunities and utilizing one voting location, costs are anticipated to be lower than previous elections.
At the Dec. 17, 2024 regular meeting, council adopted amendments to the Election and Assent Voting Bylaw, Political Signage Regulations Bylaw and Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, so that they may apply to the upcoming by-election.
For each election, including a by-election, council is required to appoint a Chief and Deputy Chief Election Officer in accordance with section 58 of the Local Government Act.
The Local Government Act outlines that a person is qualified to be nominated and hold office on a local government if at the relevant time the person meets all the following requirements:
- Is, or will be on general voting day, 18 years of age or older; a Canadian citizen; must have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months and must not be disqualified under the Act or any other enactment from holding the office.
Candidate nomination packages have been prepared and contain the forms required by legislation and additional information for potential candidates.
The City of Penticton Election Bylaw No. 2018-34 requires that a candidate obtain the signatures of 10 qualified nominators (must be an elector of the municipality). Nomination packages will be made available (for download from the City of Penticton website or pick up at City Hall) starting on January 17. Nomination documents will be accepted at City Hall starting February 18, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. until February 28, 2025.
Submitted nomination documents will be publicly available on the city’s website from the time of delivery until 30 days after the declaration of the election results.
A pre-candidate workshop will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 in Council Chambers, City Hall at 5 p.m.
This learning opportunity is open to anyone who is interested in running or wants to learn more about the role of an elected official.
The budget for the by-election is estimated at $85,000 which will be funded through general surplus.
The 2025-2029 Financial Plan will be amended when final costs have been compiled. We anticipate cost savings by only having two advance voting opportunities and utilizing one voting location.
— This story was originally published by the Penticton Herald
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