Two recounts to begin in B.C. election, as chance of NDP government grows

Recounts begin this afternoon in two ridings where British Columbia’s New Democrats held slim leads after the initial count in last week’s still-undecided election.

Elections BC says the recounts in Juan de Fuca-Malahat on Vancouver Island and Surrey City Centre will begin at 1 p.m. and be posted online when they are complete.

The recounts were triggered because their margins after the initial tally last week were below 100, but counting of mail-in ballots on Saturday widened the NDP lead in Juan de Fuca-Malahat to 106 votes, and 178 in Surrey City Centre.

No leads have so far changed in the mail-in count that continues today, but prospects for an NDP government have increased, as the party widens leads in some close races, and cuts back Conservative margins in others.

The closest undecided riding in the province is Surrey-Guildford, where the Conservative lead was cut to 12 votes on Saturday.

Premier David Eby’s NDP is elected or leading in 46 seats and John Rustad’s Conservatives in 45, both short of a 47-seat majority, while the Greens could hold the balance of power with two seats.

The final makeup of the 93-seat B.C. legislature won’t be known until at least Monday, when more than 22,000 absentee and special votes will be counted.

Judicial recounts could take place after that, if the margin in a riding is less than 1/500th of all votes cast.