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Mail-in ballot figures coming for each B.C. riding, may make election outcome clearer

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Oct, 2024 09:36 AM

Elections BC was expected to provide a breakdown of the number of uncounted mail-in and absentee ballots in each of British Columbia's 93 ridings, potentially making clearer the outcome of the weekend's nail-biting vote.

There are about 65,000 of the ballots to count between Saturday and Monday, which could solidify results from election night, or may even flip some ridings.

A handful of ridings remain too close to call after Saturday's election, in which neither the NDP nor the B.C. Conservatives secured the 47 seats needed for a majority.

By late afternoon on Friday, Elections BC had still not provided the number of additional mail-in or absentee votes going to each riding.

Two full recounts will also start over the weekend for the ridings of Juan de Fuca-Malahat and Surrey City Centre because there were fewer than 100 votes separating the NDP and B.C. Conservative candidates.

For now, the NPD is elected or leading in 46 ridings, while the B.C. Conservatives have 45 seats, and two members of the Green Party have been elected.

Elections BC says the counting of mail-in and absentee ballots starts Saturday, while the recounts, which will be conducted by hand, start Sunday.

The Surrey City Centre result is expected Sunday, while the result in Juan de Fuca-Malahat is expected on Monday.

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