The 2026 Kamloops general election to decide the next mayor, council and school trustees will be held Oct. 17, 2026.

Early voting opportunities will be Oct. 7, Oct. 10 and Oct. 14 at Heritage House, 100 Lorne St. and McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre, 1665 Island Parkway.

Visit Maps.Kamloops.ca/Election2026 for information on the 16 polling locations in the city, including addresses, accessibility information and bus route details. All polling locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the application to vote by mail will be available beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8.

This voting guide will be updated as more information becomes available.

The Wren will be taking your questions straight to candidates. To share what’s on your mind, fill out our election survey here.

Who is running in the 2026 general election? 

Applications close for candidates running in the municipal election on Sept. 11, and the official slate of candidates will be announced by Sept. 21. 

The following candidates have submitted nomination packages. This article will be updated as more names become available. This list is not official until the declaration of candidates is made by the chief election officer. 

Mayoral candidates:

Mike O’Reilly is running for mayor after two four-year terms as a councillor. Learn more here. 

Ray Dhaliwal is running for mayor after previously serving as a councillor in 2017. Dhaliwa does not yet have an election website. This article will be updated when more information is made available.

Council candidates:

Nancy Bepple is running for reelection. Learn more here. 

Margot Middleton is running for reelection. Learn more here. 

Steve Bucher is running for Kamloops City council for the first time. Learn more here.

Jesse Ritcey is running for Kamloops City council for the second time. He ran for council in 2022. Ritcey does not yet have an election website. This article will be updated when more information is made available.

School District No. 73 Board of Trustees candidates:

Jo Kang is running for relection after one term as a trustee. Learn more here.

Troylana Manson is running for her first term as a trustee. Manson does not yet have an election website. This article will be updated when more information is made available.

Who can vote?  

To qualify to vote, you must be 18 years of age or older on general voting day, be a Canadian citizen and resident of British Columbia for at least six months and be a resident of Kamloops.

Electors must have two pieces of identification to prove both residency and identity, and at least one piece must provide a signature.

These include a BC Driver’s Licence, BC Services Card, a document issued by the government of Canada that certifies registration under the Indian Act, a citizenship card issued by Métis Nation British Columbia, vehicle insurance papers, Social Insurance Number, property tax notice, credit card or debit card or utility bill.

Non-resident property electors may vote once, regardless of how many properties they own. If a property has more than one registered owner, only one can register as a non-resident property elector, and they must have the written consent of the majority of the other owners. 

To learn more about where and how to vote, visit www.kamloops.ca/city-hall/city-council/municipal-election/voting-information.