SINGH – Making your civic election voting decision easier, step by step

Posted on October 9, 2026 in Local Voices, Page One, Singh // 0 Comments

(Image: Mel Rothenburger)

By ARJUN SINGH
The Kamloops Chronicle

HAVING 51 CANDIDATES stepping up to run for Mayor, Council, and School Trustee is both an incredible win for local democracy and a daunting challenge for voters.

Arjun Singh.

Putting your name forward takes immense energy, time, and courage, and I have deep appreciation for every person who took that leap.

The flip side, however, is that sorting through 51 choices demands that same energy, time, and stress from us as voters. My hunch is that this exact overwhelm is why so many people end up sitting out civic elections altogether.

I’ve heard from many of you who are struggling to navigate the sea of options. I’ve given this a lot of thought— and while I don’t claim to have it all figured out, here is a practical, three-step approach to make the most educated vote possible.

Step 1: Define Your Yardstick Before Looking at the Names

– Before you even glance at the ballot, establish what actually matters to you.
– What are your key issues?
– What core attributes do you want to see in a City Councillor or School Board Trustee?

Let your answers become the filter through which you assess every candidate.

For instance, my personal priority is electing people who will work respectfully with their colleagues. Yours might be entirely different— totally wonderful. There is no single “right” priority; what matters is that you define your criteria upfront so you aren’t overwhelmed by the noise.

Step 2: Cut the Field in Half

Now, take that daunting list of 51 candidates and use your criteria from Step 1 to whittle it down to a manageable shortlist of about 25 or fewer.

Consider a few bonus questions:

– Who is demonstrating genuine hard work on the campaign trail?
– Which newcomers can bring real value to the table?
– Who are your trusted friends and neighbours recommending?

For me, another guiding factor is a proven track record of positive community involvement. Some wonderful candidates running haven’t built that foundation yet; while I won’t be supporting them this round, I’ll be watching for their names on future ballots. Your personal filters might look completely different, and that’s great — the goal is simply to make the list small enough to evaluate closely.

Step 3: Research, Rank, and Finalize Your Ballot

On election day, you can vote for up to eight Council candidates, up to five School Trustees, and one Mayor.

With your shortened list in hand, it’s time to rank the contenders and make your final choices.
Dig into the resources available across our local media:<

– Read candidate profiles right here in the Chronicle.
– Check local election coverage on Castanet Kamloops, CFJC Today, and The Wren.
– Listen to candidate interviews on CBC Kamloops Daybreak and Radio NL.

Personally, I look to vote for individuals with diverse views and backgrounds so that the table reflects the entire community.

Local elections take real effort, and walking through these steps will take at least a few hours of your time. But given the profound impact City Council and the Board of Education have on our daily lives, that time is so worth the investment.

Arjun Singh is the executive director of the Kamloops Local News Society, publisher of the Kamloops Chronicle. This column also appears in the October edition of The Chronicle.