B.C. election still too close to call in three ridings

Three races in the 2026 provincial election are within a single percentage point after the initial count, and none has yet met the threshold for an automatic judicial recount. The Conservatives otherwise won a landslide.

In Burnaby South–Metrotown, NDP candidate Paul Choi leads Conservative David Xie by 66 votes, about 0.5 per cent of votes cast. In Cowichan Valley, Conservative Bert Chen leads NDP incumbent Debra Toporowski by 150 votes, about 0.58 per cent. In Ladysmith–Oceanside, Conservative Kris McNichol leads NDP incumbent Stephanie Higginson by 89 votes, just under 0.3 per cent.

Mail-in and absentee ballots are still to be counted. In 2024, mail-in ballots made up about three per cent of votes cast. The final count is scheduled for Nov. 6. A judicial recount is triggered automatically when the margin is less than 0.2 per cent of all ballots, and it can be applied for within six days of the final declaration. Where margins are close, the district electoral officer conducts a hand count, which can delay the final result because ballots cast in other ridings must be sent back for it.