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

Leaders televised debate tonight

Leaders from the three main political parties in B-C are set to square off today in the only televised debate before election day. The three candidates also took part in a radio debate last week, which saw them joust over affordability, health care and the opioid crisis, while trying to undermine each other's credibility to form the next provincial government.

Leaders televised debate tonight

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau headed to Laos for ASEAN Summit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is travelling to Laos today to take part in the ASEAN Summit. Canada is not a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but has a strategic partnership with ASEAN and is hoping to conclude a trade deal with the 10-nation bloc by the end of next year.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau headed to Laos for ASEAN Summit

Suspected homicide under investigation in Port Hardy

Police are investigating what they say is a suspected homicide in Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island. The major crime unit says in a statement that a person was discovered hurt in the community on Sunday.

Suspected homicide under investigation in Port Hardy

Driver charged with impaired driving causing death

Surrey R-C-M-P say a driver has been charged with impaired driving causing death after a pedestrian was struck and killed while at a bus stop over the weekend. Investigators say on Saturday afternoon a truck crossed into oncoming traffic and then collided with a bus stop bench injuring two pedestrians and causing damage to the surrounding property.

Driver charged with impaired driving causing death

Inflation, interest rates eroded Canadians' purchasing power since 2022: PBO report

Inflation and higher interest rates have eroded Canadians' purchasing power since 2022, particularly for lower-income households, a new report from the parliamentary budget officer has found. But wealthier households have seen their purchasing power rise thanks in big part to their investment income.

Inflation, interest rates eroded Canadians' purchasing power since 2022: PBO report

Rustad's Nuremberg, Nazi comparisons to COVID-19 measures 'regrettable,' says Eby

British Columbia's election campaign was dragged far off course Monday as the two main party leaders were forced to comment about comparisons of the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals to COVID-19 pandemic health measures. Vandalism at the property of a Vancouver billionaire, who erected a large sign critical of B.C.'s New Democrats, also diverted leaders off their messages.