Updated 11am, Monday, October 28th:
The Conservative’s lead in Surrey-Guildford has been cut to just four votes with approximately 200 more to be counted. (Conservatives 8,826, NDP 8,822)
According to Elections BC, the ballots being cast today are absentee ballots.
The next closest riding is Kelowna Centre, where the Conservative candidate leads the NDP by 60 votes. (Conservatives 10,961, NDP 10,901)
The NDP is still sitting with 46 seats, the Conservatives have 45 and the Greens have two.
47 seats are needed for a majority government.
Original Story from 4 pm, Sunday:
As of the latest update from Elections BC, which came just after 4:00 this afternoon (Sunday), the NDP is still set to form a minority government with 46 seats, while the Conservatives have 45 and the Greens have two.
One riding to watch will be Surrey-Guildford, which currently has the BC Conservatives in a 12 vote lead over the NDP.
The Conservatives were leading the riding by 102 votes on Election night.
If the riding was to flip to the NDP, it would grant them the 47th seat needed to form a majority government.
Any remaining absentee ballots will be counted tomorrow (Monday), starting at 9:00 am.
Recounts started at 1:00 this afternoon as well in Juan de Fuca-Malahat, and Surrey City Centre, and a partial recount Kelowna Centre.
In Juan de Fuca-Malahat and Surrey City Centre, the recounts were automatically required because the difference between the top two candidates were 100 or fewer.
On election night, the NDP led in Juan de Fuca-Malahat by 23 votes, a lead which has since grown to 106 votes.
They also led Surrey-City Centre by 93 votes on election night, and that lead has grown to 175 votes.
According to Elections BC, a transcription error of one vote was identified between a ballot account and a tabulator results tape in Kelowna Centre. They say this was likely due to election official error.
“A ballot account is a form completed by election officials showing the number of ballots issued and the votes for each candidate, based on the tabulator results tape,” Elections BC’s website reads.
“While the tabulator in question passed all testing and produced results accurately, a recount of the ballots counted by that tabulator will be conducted as a result of the ballot account error. This recount will be conducted by hand.”
As of this afternoon, the Conservatives are leading the NDP by 72 votes in the riding.
Elections BC estimates the recount in Surrey City Centre and the partial recount in Kelowna Centre will be completed by the end of today, but the recount in Juan de Fuca-Malahat will not be complete until tomorrow (Monday).
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