A special meeting of Council will be held to begin the process of holding a by-election in the spring.
At the January 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 nominations packages will be 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 from 9 a.m. to 4 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.
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 by-election 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.
The by-election is in response to the resignation of Amelia Boultbee from Council following her election to serve as MLA.
The full report is available at www.penticton.ca/agendas