Record low turnout in B.C. election, dropping below half for first time

On October 26, 2026, British Columbia's election featured a record low turnout, dropping below half for the first time in the province's history. The preliminary results revealed a massive majority for the B.C. Conservatives, who won over 60 seats out of the 93-riding legislature. The Conservatives received 862,317 votes, a 5.4 per cent decrease from 2024, while the NDP saw a significant drop of 30 per cent, receiving 670,811 votes compared to 944,579 in 2024.

The Greens experienced a 14 per cent increase in their vote count, rising to 196,896 votes and their share spiking from 8.2 per cent to about 11 per cent. Independent legislators Jordan Kealy and Tara Armstrong, along with Dallas Brodie and Elenore Sturko, also participated in the election. Kealy, facing a sexual assault charge, was defeated in Peace River North by Conservative Curtis Whitford, while Brodie and Sturko received low percentages of the vote in their respective constituencies.