Advance poll turnout up everywhere but Kelowna

The Colin versus Tom tussle has yet to excite Kelowna voters, the turnout at Wednesday’s advance poll suggests.

Only 966 people filled out advance ballots at two polling stations, well down from the 1,536 people who showed up on the first day of advance voting in 2014.

But returning officer Karen Needham notes there are more opportunities for advance voting in this Kelowna election than there were four years ago.

“We’ve got four more advance polls this Saturday, which we didn’t have in 2014, so maybe people are just waiting a little longer to vote,” Needham said Thursday.

Incumbent Mayor Colin Basran is opposed by three rivals, including Tom Dyas, a two-term chamber of commerce president. The two are former friends who as recently as last year travelled together to New York City to celebrate Basran’s 40th birthday.

Twenty-one people are running for the eight Kelowna councillor positions.

Kelowna’s two advance polls on Thursday were at the Parkinson Recreation Centre, where 713 people voted, and City Hall, where 253 people cast ballots.

In West Kelowna on Wednesday, 742 people cast ballots at an advance poll at the Westbank Lions Community Centre. By comparison, 401 voted on the first day of advance polling in 2014.

In Peachland, turnout at the advance poll was also up considerably from four years ago. A total of 263 people voted compared to 193 in 2014.

Overall, Peachland posted a voter turnout of 42 per cent in the civic election four years ago, returning officer Polly Palmer said, which was the highest of any community in the Central Okanagan.

The election in Peachland is particularly lively this year, with four people running to defeat incumbent Mayor Cindy Fortin.

In Lake Country, turnout is also on pace to eclipse the number of early voters four years ago. On the first day of advance voting, 399 people cast ballots. In 2014, 560 people voted on the two days of advance voting.

“I think people are realizing advance polls are for everyone and you don’t have to have a special reason to use them,” Willene Perez, Lake Country’s returning officer, said Thursday.

“In the old days, people kind of thought you only advance-voted if you knew you were going to be out of town on election day,” Perez said.

The regular voting day for this fall’s municipal elections is Oct. 20.