NDP provincial leadership confirmed pending judicial recount

FORT ST. JOHN – Elections BC has finished the final count of the 2024 Provincial General Election, with David Eby being asked to form government for the New Democratic Party (NDP).

With more than two million British Columbians, or 58.3 per cent of eligible voters, casting their ballots on or before October 19th, the election was a close call to the very end.

The NDP won 47 electoral districts, garnering 44.87 per cent of the vote, with the Conservative Party a close second at 44 districts won or 43.27 per cent of the vote. 

The Green Party only succeeded in securing 2 electoral districts and 8.24 per cent of the vote. Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau was defeated in her riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill but remains the head of the political party. 

Despite the NDP being asked to form government, two judicial recounts will be conducted in the districts of Kelowna Centre and Surrey-Guilford. Under the Election Act, recounts must take place if the difference between the top two candidates is less than 1/500th of the total ballots. 

In Kelowna Centre, this threshold would be 49 votes, and the final difference was 38. In Surrey-Guilford, the threshold is 38, and the final difference was 27 votes. 

For this election, an application for a recount must be made by November 4th to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Following the conclusion of the count, the NDP released a statement from party leader David Eby, who thanked the province for the honour and responsibility of leading the province for another term. 

“British Columbians have asked us to work together and make life better for them. That is exactly what we intend to do,” Eby said. 

“With these results, we are saying goodbye to talented colleagues whose voices will be missed in the Legislature. We are also welcoming skilled new electeds with fresh ideas. Together, we can make sure BC is a place where people can get ahead and everyone can build a good life. We won’t stop until the job is done.”