Advanced voting started Wednesday morning (April 16) and is currently underway for the Hope byelection taking place next week.
Starting at 8 a.m. and going till 8 p.m., a few locals have been arriving at the district hall in order to vote for the candidate they'd like to see on the District of Hope council.
The second and final chance for advance voting will be on April 23, again at the district hall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
General day voting falls next week Saturday, on April 26.
To vote, residents need two pieces of identification, proving both identity and residency. At least one piece needs to have the voter's signature.
For those who aren't able to vote in-person, mail ballot voting, and special voting are available for the residents of Hope.
For those wishing to mail in their ballot, mail ballot packages are currently available. To receive a ballot package, voters must complete the mail ballot voter application, which can be downloaded from the District of Hope website at www.hope.ca/p/by-election. Upon completion, the form can be either emailed, faxed, mailed, or delivered to Chief Election Officer Branden Morgan.
Mail ballots must be received by the district before April 24.
The mailing address for the District of Hope is:
PO Box 609 Hope, B.C.
V0X 1L0
The fax number is 604-869-2275.
And Morgan's email address is bmorgan@hope.ca.
Special voting is also available for hospitalized patients and residents of the Fraser Canyon Hospital, Park Street Manor, Riverside Manor. Dates and times will be provided by the election officers.
Four candidates are seeking to fill the position left by now-former Coun. Zachary Wells who resigned on Feb. 3. The candidates are Michael Bowcott, Bonnie Graham, Nate Brown, and Magnus DuBeau. They've shared their biographies with The Hope Standard over the past several weeks.
For more information about the byelection, contact Morgan at bmorgan@hope.ca or the Deputy Chief Election Officer Donna Bellingham. Bellingham can be emailed at dbellingham@hope.ca and called at 604-869-5671.
