Elections BC to begin final vote count with race still close in some ridings

Elections BC plans to commence the concluding tally for last month's provincial election on Friday. Approximately 150,000 mail-in ballots will be included in this final count following the election, which was decisively won by the B.C. Conservatives.

Currently, four ridings have margins of less than 200 votes between the leading candidates, making the race still quite close. Furthermore, two of these ridings will undergo a separate recount due to the margin being under 100 votes. In the Burnaby-South Metrotown riding, the NDP candidate is ahead by 66 votes, while in Ladysmith-Oceanside, their lead is 13 votes.

The B.C. Conservatives maintain a 151-vote advantage in the Cowichan Valley riding and a 132-vote margin in Kelowna Centre. The final results from the count, which will encompass mail-in votes, assisted phone voting, and absentee ballots, are expected to be released no later than next Tuesday. The B.C. Conservatives had secured a substantial majority in the Oct. 24 election, winning approximately two-thirds of the 93 seats.