National

B.C. election: NDP takes lead in key riding, putting Eby on track for majority

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Oct, 2024 12:20 PM

The NDP has overtaken the B.C. Conservatives in the ongoing count of absentee votes in a crucial Metro Vancouver riding, putting Premier David Eby on course to win government with a razor-thin majority.

Final count continues today. We have updated results on our website and will update results hourly until final count is complete. Find the updates here: https://t.co/m9nVXkpnMa
— Elections BC (@ElectionsBC) October 28, 2024

The NDP now leads Surrey-Guildford by 14 votes and if it hangs on there and in other races, it would have a one-seat majority in the 93-riding legislature.

Elections BC officials are counting more than 22,000 absentee and special ballots provincewide today, nine days after the province’s election.

We knew this was going to be a close election, but we’ve been here before. BCers support our fair election process and the people at Elections BC making sure every vote gets counted.

Thanks to candidates, volunteers & election workers who make democracy work.
— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) October 27, 2024

The Conservatives had been ahead in the closest race of Surrey-Guildford by 12 votes going into the tally, but there were an estimated 226 votes still to count and each hourly update saw that lead whittled away.

Our movement is only beginning. #bcpoli https://t.co/y8yOGNwS1m pic.twitter.com/svFI9XeUYU
— Conservative Party of BC (@Conservative_BC) October 27, 2024

In a noon update by the elections authority, the NDP was elected or leading in 47 seats, while John Rustad’s B.C. Conservatives were leading or elected in 44 and the Greens had won two seats.

A count of more than 43,000 mail-in and assisted telephone votes over the weekend put the NDP within range of victory in Surrey-Guildford, sending the race down to the absentee ballots.

While today’s absentee vote could finally produce a winner in the election, there could still be judicial recounts in any riding where the margin is less than 1/500th of all votes cast.

In Surrey-Guildford, where an estimated 19,306 votes were cast, the margin for a judicial recount is about 38 votes or fewer.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Trudeau heads to Italy as shadows of war in Ukraine, Gaza loom over G7 summit

The three-day summit kicks off on Thursday in Apulia, Italy, where leaders of the seven wealthy democratic nations are expected to discuss the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, the energy transition, artificial intelligence, migration and collaboration with Africa.

Trudeau heads to Italy as shadows of war in Ukraine, Gaza loom over G7 summit

Environment Canada predicts warm summer across country, especially in East

Environment Canada is predicting a warmer-than-usual summer across the entire country, with the greatest chance of high temperatures everywhere east of Manitoba. The government agency released maps Tuesday suggesting the chance of a hot summer is virtually 100 per cent almost everywhere east of the Ontario-Manitoba boundary.

Environment Canada predicts warm summer across country, especially in East

ATV crash in B.C. kills 15-year-old boy, passenger suffers minor injuries

A 15-year-old has died when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving overturned near Barriere. Mounties say the crash north of Kamloops happened Sunday near the two-kilometre mark of the Darlington Creek Forest Service Road.

ATV crash in B.C. kills 15-year-old boy, passenger suffers minor injuries

Rescuers work overnight to save teen and his dog after fall down B.C. embankment

First responders in southeastern British Columbia say a teen and his dog have been rescued after falling "several hundred feet" down an embankment. A statement from the Regional District of East Kootenay says the pair suffered a "harrowing fall" near the community of Elko, and search and rescue teams worked until around 4 a.m. Tuesday morning to get them up safely.

Rescuers work overnight to save teen and his dog after fall down B.C. embankment

Surrey mayor accepts outcome of judicial review

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says she still opposes the province's mandated transition to a municipal police force, but she accepts the outcome of a judicial review. The mayor told a council meeting that the city is moving forward with what needs to be done to ensure residents are prioritized in the provincially legislated transition.

Surrey mayor accepts outcome of judicial review

BC's official opposition shuffles portfolios

B-C's official Opposition has shuffled its shadow cabinet portfolios. A statement from B-C United says former provincial cabinet minister Shirley Bond has been appointed as shadow minister for mental health and addiction.