Flooding issues will not keep voters from the polls, Elections B.C. says | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Mostly Cloudy  4.9°C

Kamloops News

Flooding issues will not keep voters from the polls, Elections B.C. says

Dane Jorsvik uses his bicycle to get through the high water near his home on Commonwealth Road in Lake Country, Monday, May 9, 2017. Officials with Elections B.C. say they are keeping a close eye on the flood situation in the Interior, as high waters interfere with voting in some ridings during today's, May 9, general election.

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Officials with Elections B.C. say they are keeping a close eye on the flood situation in the Interior, as high waters interfere with voting in some ridings during today's, May 9, general election.

Andrew Watson with Elections B.C. says the Elections Act gives British Columbia's chief electoral officer the power to make changes if flood waters block access to polling stations or prevent anyone from casting a ballot.

Those changes could include extending voting hours in specific regions, sending a mobile team to flood-affected regions or moving polling places.

Revisions have been made to some polling places in the ridings for Kelowna-Lake Country, Boundary-Similkameen, Shuswap and Fraser-Nicola. They have been posted to the the Elections B.C. website and we've listed them here:

Kelowna-Lake Country 017, 018
Holiday Park Resort is no longer available as a general voting place due to flooding. Voting areas 017 and 018 have been reassigned to Winfield Memorial Hall at 10130 Bottom Wood Lake Rd., which is also serving voting areas 011 – 016.

Boundary-Similkameen 015, 018-025
Grand Forks is experiencing flooding. Voters who were assigned to vote at Grand Forks Sr Hall are now assigned to vote at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Voting will proceed as planned at the Gospel Chapel. Voters affected by local flooding may vote at their nearest voting place.

Boundary-Similkameen 028, 029
The District Electoral Officer is monitoring water levels in the Kettle River that could affect access to the Rock Creek and Boundary Fair Pavilion. In the event of road closures, Information Officers will be deployed to provide access instructions.

Shuswap 007
Sunnybrae Canoe Point Rd. is closed at Robinson Creek due to a landslide. Evacuated residents may vote at their nearest voting opportunity. A mobile team of election officials is being deployed via water taxi to the area northeast of the closure. The team will administer special voting door-to-door starting at 10 a.m. today, May 9.

Fraser-Nicola – 039, 041
The Highway 8 closure in Lower Nicola near Aberdeen Rd. has been cleared. Voting will go ahead as planned at the Lower Nicola Community Hall at 2383 Aberdeen Rd. If the affected bridge closes again, voters east of the bridge may vote at the Shulus Hall at 181 Nawishaskin Lane.

Fraser-Nicola – 040
Highway 8 is closed in both directions between Canford and Agate. Most voters resident in voting area 040 will be able to reach their assigned voting place at the Shackan Community Centre. Voters east of the closure may vote at the Lower Nicola Community Hall.

Fraser-Nicola – 029
Highway 97D is closed in both directions between Lac Le Jeune and Logan Lake. Voters west of the closure may vote at the Logan Lake Pentecostal Church at 237 Jasper Dr.

For more on where to vote in the provincial election today, go to the Elections B.C. website.

— With files from The Canadian Press


To contact a reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander or call 250-491-0331 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2017
iNFOnews

  • Popular kamloops News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile