EDITORIAL – We have just one thing to do today, and it’s an important one

Posted on October 17, 2026 in Editorials, Page One, Rothenburger // 0 Comments

(Image: Mel Rothenburger)

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

ONE THING. We have just one thing to do today — vote.

It’s a simple thing to do, really. A lot of folks have already voted at advance polls or by mail, but most will do so today (Oct. 17, 2026), general voting day.

There are some details around this one simple thing that need to be given careful consideration, however. First of all, there’s the thing about not having to vote for eight members of City council, or five for school board.

Voters are allowed to choose up to those maximums, but they’re allowed to mark their ballots for fewer, if they wish. In fact, they can vote for only one, if that’s their choice. Point is, vote for only the ones you feel comfortable with, the ones you think you know enough about, and believe they’ll do the job right.

And remember the rules about bringing correct pieces of ID, and pick any one of the 16 polling stations in the city. All that stuff has been published here and elsewhere a number of times so the information is easily accessible.

Polls open at 8 and close at 8. The first results should start coming in not long after the polls close but, depending partly on turnout, it could take awhile to establish trends.

A final thought. You might ask, why vote at all? Here’s why. Because local government is the closest level of government to the people it serves. It operates right here where we live, and makes decisions that directly affect us. The people we elect do important work.

And because we’re lucky to live in a democracy that lets us choose who represents us. Best we get out there.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, writes for the Kamloops Chronicle and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and was a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.