Voters across the West Kootenay are heading to the polls today to decide who will represent their communities for the next four years.
Residents are casting ballots in municipal council, regional district and school board elections, with several closely watched races across the region.
In Nelson, three candidates are competing for the mayor’s seat, including incumbent Janice Morrison, Steve Bergevin and Ramona Faust.
Meanwhile, several communities already know who will lead them, with mayoral candidates elected by acclamation in Nakusp, New Denver, Salmo and Silverton.
Our newsroom will be following election results throughout the evening, bringing you the latest developments as votes are counted and winners are declared.
Update: 8 p.m. Polls close across the region
Voting has officially ended in the 2026 municipal elections, with election officials beginning the process of counting ballots.
Results are expected to be released throughout the evening.
Update: 9:10 p.m. First results coming in
Janice Morrison will serve as Nelson’s Mayor for a second term.
She secured 51.6 per cent of the vote, ahead of Ramona Faust with 43.4 per cent and Steve Bergevin with three per cent.
The six councillors elected include incumbents Kate Tait, Keith Page, Leslie Payne and Jesse Piniero, alongside Ainsleah Hastings and Martin Stegman.
Our newsroom is tracking mayoral, council, regional district and school trustee races as the counts progress.
Update: 9:40 Election update
Results in the Regional District of Central Kootenay are starting to come in, with Gordon Zaitzoff set to represent Area J for four years, beating incumbent Henny Hanegraaf.
Update: 9:55 Election update
More results from the Regional District of Central Kootenay have come in, and there’s set to be a couple new faces around the board table.
Landon Veregin is set to represent Area E for the next four years, while Anna Bundschuh has been elected to represent Area G.
Veregin won by a narrow margin, securing just 50.4 per cent of the vote over his opponent Erin Fitchett, who secured 49 per cent.
Meanwhile Bundschuh won 62.3 per cent of the vote, beating Nathen Rushforth with 25.6 per cent and Susan Chew with 11.7 per cent.
Update: 10:10 Election update
Will Parker is set to represent the Slocan Valley on the RDCK board for four years.
Parker secured 70.5 per cent of the vote in Electoral Area H, beating Kevin Shaw who secured 26.8 per cent of the vote.
Parker is taking over from longtime Area H director Walter Popoff, who did not run for re-election.
Update: 10:15 Election update
Arrow Lakes Incumbent Director Teresa Weatherhead has held on to her position on the RDCK board representing Electoral Area K.
She won by a large margin, securing 86.1 per cent of the vote, while her opponent Tina Knooihuizen received 12.7 per cent.
Update: 10:30 Election update
The results are in for New Denver’s council contest.
Incumbent councillor Colin Moss will serve for another term, alongside Kathy Hartman, Daphne Budding and Vern Gustafson.
Incumbent Mayor Leonard Casley has been delcared by acclimation.
Update: 11:03 Election update
Jamie Ingram is the next Mayor of Slocan.
Ingram won 53 per cent of the vote against Joel Pelletier with 37.5 per cent and Eunice Ludlow with eight per cent.
In the council contest, villag voters elected Dave Fredrickson, Delaine Hird, Katie Strong and Brendan Murray-Nellis.
Update: 12:10 a.m. Election update
Erika Bird is the next Mayor of Kaslo.
Bird won 77.6 per cent of the vote against incumbent Suzan Hewat with 21.3 per cent.
In the council contest, villag voters elected Matthew Brown, Sarah Sinclair, Linden Gibbons and Molly Leatherwood.
Results will be updated as information becomes available. All results are preliminary until officially confirmed.
