The voters of Westside-Kelowna will decide today whether Premier Christy Clark has earned the right to represent them in the B.C. legislature.

Seven candidates running against Clark in a byelection have worked hard to highlight the fact that the premier, as a Vancouver resident, is an outsider in the district. Clark lost her Vancouver-Point Grey seat in the May general election, but has promised to establish a second residence in Kelowna if she wins.

"People are angry that we're running a byelection, which costs around $500,000, because Ms. Clark failed to win her own riding," independent candidate Dayleen Van Ryswyk said at a July 5 all-candidates' forum.

"They're angry that (she) forced someone out that the people elected, and they're angry that she's promising the moon to get them to vote for her, and they know they're being bought."

At the forum, Clark owned that she lost her seat because she was out stumping on behalf of the BC Liberal Party.

"That's why I'm here in Westside-Kelowna today. To seek your vote, to be able to represent this constituency, because we do share those same values," she said.

Polls close at 8 p.m. tonight, and The Tyee's legislative bureau chief Andrew MacLeod will track the results of today's vote as they flow in.

Robyn Smith reports for The Tyee.