B.C. NDP hangs on to power, will form next government, CBC News projects

[muriel_volestrangler]

David Eby's British Columbia NDP appears to have fended off the John Rustad Conservative surge by a razor-thin margin to form the next provincial government, CBC News projects.
...
Currently, the NDP has been elected in 46 ridings and is leading in one, with the Conservatives elected in 43 and leading in one. The B.C. Greens have been elected in two ridings.
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Key to securing the win was NDP candidate Dana Lajeunesse in the riding of Juan de Fuca-Malahat, projected elected by CBC News with a lead of 125 votes over Conservative Marina Sapozhnikov.

A nail-biter in the riding of Surrey-Guildford that is still too close to call currently has NDP incumbent Garry Begg leading Conservative Honveer Singh Randhawa by 17 votes.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-election-2024-winners-1.7364897

My cousin's son-in-law works for the BC NDP in government, and would have lost his job if they lost. And they've just had a baby. Yay.

[Spazito]

1. Excellent news!

Fingers crossed they win that last riding to give them a majority government.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Looking good - majority after Monday, though 2 recounts will take time

Left-leaning New Democratic Party to form British Columbia government after tight election win

Incumbent Premier David Eby's New Democratic Party (NDP) is set to form the next government of British Columbia after edging ahead in a final tally of ballots on Monday, more than a week after the Oct. 19 vote took place.

The NDP was leading or elected in 47 seats - just enough to form a majority government - in Canada's westernmost province, while John Rustad's Conservative Party of British Columbia had 44 seats and the BC Green Party won two.
...
"Based on today's final vote count, and pending judicial recounts, British Columbians have asked our BC NDP team to lead our province for a third time," Eby said.

Voters had to wait nine days for the final count by Elections BC after initial results showed no party had won enough seats to form a majority government. Two electoral districts will still likely face a judicial recount because the margins of victory were so slim.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/left-leaning-new-democratic-party-form-british-columbia-government-after-tight-2024-10-29/

2 judicial recounts to take place within the next 2 weeks

Two judicial recounts were triggered at the end of the "final count" by an NDP candidate's 27-vote victory margin in Surrey-Guildford and a Conservative candidate's 38-vote win in Kelowna Centre.

Elections B.C. says district electoral officers must apply for a judicial recount if the margin of victory is within 1/500th of all ballots considered in the riding.

Recounts are conducted by a B.C. Supreme Court judge and may include all or some of the ballots in an election.
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According to the B.C. Election Act, the recounts must take place within 15 days after the declaration of the official election results, which happened on Oct. 28.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/election-integrity-british-columbia-1.7368343

[Spazito]

3. That's the definition of a squeaker majority for sure...

Hopefully the judicial count will end up with the same results as when it begins.