National

Absentee ballot count could settle B.C.'s election, nine days after vote

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Oct, 2024 09:56 AM

British Columbia's election could finally be decided Monday with the counting of absentee ballots, after recounts and a tally of mail-in votes failed to settle the contest on the weekend.

Neither Premier David Eby's New Democrats nor John Rustad's B.C. Conservatives emerged from the weekend with the magic number of 47 seats required to form a majority in the province's 93-seat legislature.

But the counting increased the prospects for an NDP government, when the Conservative lead in Surrey-Guildford was cut to just 12 votes.

All eyes will be on that Metro Vancouver seat when counting resumes at 9 a.m., with 226 absentee votes to count there.

More than 22,000 absentee ballots provincewide that are to be counted Monday could hold the key to the Oct. 19 election, and Elections BC says it will provide hourly updates of the results.

The current standings have the NDP leading or elected in 46 ridings, with the B.C. Conservatives leading or elected in 45 and the Greens with two elected members.

If the NDP wins Surrey-Guildford and hangs onto all other ridings where it leads, it will secure the narrowest of majorities.

Elections BC says there was no shift in the party standings after the weekend count of mail-in and assisted-telephone ballots was completed on Sunday.

A full hand recount in Surrey City Centre resulted in the NDP lead there being reduced by three votes, to 175, while a partial recount in Kelowna Centre saw the Conservative lead cut by four votes, to 68.

The result of a full recount in Juan de Fuca-Malahat, where the NDP lead by 113 votes, is also to be announced Monday.

While the makeup of the legislature could become clear, judicial recounts could still take place after that if the margin in a riding is less than 1/500th of all votes cast.

For example, in the closest race of Surrey-Guildford, where an estimated 19,306 were cast, the margin for a judicial recount is about 38 votes or fewer.

Aisha Estey, president of the B.C. Conservative Party, said she spent the weekend in a warehouse watching the counting of mail-in ballots.

In a post on social media, she said: "Elections BC staff have been working tirelessly and doing their best within the confines of the legislation that governs their work."

"Would we have liked mail-ins to be counted closer to (election day)? Sure," she added. "But I saw nothing that caused me concern."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada's spy agency saw low-level Chinese meddling activities in 2019 election: Gould

The former minister of democratic institutions says she was told after the October 2019 federal election that Canada's spy agency had seen low-level foreign interference activities by China. Karina Gould, who held the portfolio from early 2017 to November 2019, said in a classified interview last month that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service indicated the activities were similar to what had been seen in the past.

Canada's spy agency saw low-level Chinese meddling activities in 2019 election: Gould

BoC holds key rate at 5%

Governor Tiff Macklem says economic data since January has improved the central bank’s confidence that inflation will continue to slow, even as economic growth picks up. The governor says while the Bank of Canada is seeing the evidence it needs to begin lowering interest rates, it needs to see price pressures ease for longer to make sure the decline in inflation is sustained.

BoC holds key rate at 5%

B.C. announces one-time $430 rent relief benefit to low-income seniors

The British Columbia government is granting a one-time $430 benefit to the roughly 20,000 seniors in its support program for elderly low-income renters. B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says eligible seniors don't need to apply for the payment, which will be sent out this month.

B.C. announces one-time $430 rent relief benefit to low-income seniors

Two blows to B.C.'s credit status, as S&P cuts rating and Moody's turns negative

British Columbia's credit status took a double blow on Tuesday, with S&P downgrading the province due to the risk of "outsize" deficits, and Moody's turning its outlook negative. S&P Global Ratings blamed big government spending as it dropped its credit rating for the province and BC Hydro's provincially guaranteed unsecured debt from AA status to AA-minus.

Two blows to B.C.'s credit status, as S&P cuts rating and Moody's turns negative

B.C. makes it easier to salvage timber damaged by wildfires

The B.C. government says it's making it easier for forestry companies to salvage timber damaged by wildfires. Sustainable Forestry Innovation Minister Andrew Mercier says in a statement that changes to the price of fees for harvesting timber on Crown land make salvage "more economic," and will speed up forest regeneration.

B.C. makes it easier to salvage timber damaged by wildfires

B.C. moves alone on Surrey Police Service after mayor, council refuse to leave RCMP

British Columbia is moving ahead with the transition to an independent police service in Surrey after the mayor and council refused to part ways with the RCMP. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says a plan is in place for the continued transition to the independent Surrey Police Service, and he'll release more details next week on how that will work.