By Lexi McFarlane, Times Chronicle
Several changes are coming to the rules around local elections in the Town of Osoyoos, ahead of the upcoming election in October, with some notable impacts for residents.
An amendment to the Elections Bylaw was given three readings by Council last week, and updates multiple aspects of the Municipal election process.
Two of the three main revisions to the Bylaw will offer enhanced accessibility for residents to vote, while the other main revision focuses on the regulation of campaign signage, including where it can be set up.
Under the amendment, the 2026 election will be the first municipal election in Osoyoos to offer mail ballot voting as an option alongside in-person voting.
Mail ballot voting would provide an opportunity for people who are out-of-town, working, unwell or reside in care facilities, or face logistical challenges, to be able to vote.
Residents would need to apply ahead of time to vote via mail ballot, and provide identification, and ballots could be mailed to or dropped off at Town Hall.
Marg Coulson, the Town’s interim Chief Administrative Officer, explained in response to Councillor Jim King that there wouldn’t be any differences between the process of applying to vote in-person, and the process to vote by mail.
“You don’t pick (the mail ballots) up, you have to apply for them,” Coulson said. “It’s very much like when you walk up to the voting place and you have to register first, to receive that mail ballot.”
In-person voting would also see its enhancements, with advance voting opportunities occurring further ahead of the election date of October 17. The Elections Bylaw currently aligns with provincial legislation, mandating two advance voting opportunities, one of which must be 10 days before Election Day.
Instead of taking place three days before the election date, the bylaw amendment would move the second opportunity to be a full week ahead, on October 10. This would better align Osoyoos with the RDOS, which would make the voting process more efficient “should co-location of a poll for Area “A” Director voting occur”.
New campaign sign regulations would permit signs along streets, provided they do not obstruct access or sightlines, as well as private property with consent of the property owner. Signs would still not be allowed in local parks or on other public properties in the amended bylaw.
Councillor Johnny Cheong sought clarification on how a violation of the new sign rules would be approached.
“Because this is a change, if election signs were placed in a park, or a Town-owned or public property… what would happen with those signs?” Cheong asked.
“The (Elections) Bylaw enforcement would be very similar to the rest of our Bylaw enforcement,” Coulson said.
“We would get a hold of the person who put the sign there, and ask them if they could move it, and just use that as an opportunity to educate them about where (signs) can go, and where they cannot go.”
Full adoption of the bylaw will take place prior to July 6. The nomination period for the 2026 Municipal Election begins on September 1.
