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Elections BC says a final vote count in British Columbia's Oct. 19 provincial election has given Premier David Eby's New Democrats 47 seats, just enough to form a majority government.
Forty-seven is the magic number for a majority in B.C.'s 93-seat legislature.
But Elections BC says two seats are subject to automatic judicial recounts because the results in the ridings of Kelowna Centre and Surrey-Guildford are too close.
The B.C. Conservatives, who won 44 seats, are currently ahead in Kelowna Centre and the NDP are leading in Surrey-Guildford.
Both Eby and B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad have scheduled news conferences today in Victoria.
Green Leader Sonia Furstenau, whose party won two seats, says all parties will have to work together for the legislature to function effectively.
Eby said he met with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin on Monday and she asked him to form the next government.
"After a close and hard-fought campaign, it's now time to come together to deliver for people," Eby said in a statement. "We will work hard every day to earn the trust you have placed in us."
In a social media post, Rustad said he was proud to have led a party with no seats in the 2020 election to being the Opposition in the next legislature.
"I accept the results of this election. I thank our Elections BC workers for their hard and dedicated work," he posted.
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 that job is done. pic.twitter.com/j9R0CQygzw
— BC NDP (@bcndp) October 29, 2024
"I am ready to begin the important work of leading B.C.’s official Opposition. B.C.’s Conservative caucus is committed to holding government accountable and advocating for policies that reflect the best interests of all British Columbians."
Eby scheduled a news conference Tuesday at the legislature in Victoria. Rustad also called a news conference in the capital for Tuesday afternoon.
Elections BC officials spent the weekend and Monday counting 43,000 mail-in and 22,000 absentee ballots.
The NDP win is the first time in B.C. history the New Democrats have taken three consecutive elections.
NDP House Leader Ravi Kahlon said he was "glad to see the numbers come in and I'm glad to see we can move forward."
"It's still going to require a lot of co-operation in the legislature," he said in an interview. "We're still going to be reaching out to the Greens to find ways to work with them."
Kahlon said people have been telling him, "we don't want another election, what we want is you guys to work it out."
Kahlon suggested the NDP has plans to find a Speaker from within their ranks despite his party's tight standings.
We have made history in BC. Just 18 months ago, the Conservative Party of BC was at 2% in the polls, had no members, no money, no team.
— John Rustad (@JohnRustad4BC) October 29, 2024
But what we did have was grit, determination and a massive grassroots movement that would make the impossible happen.
I am immensely proud…
"We have good people who can do the job," he said.
It was too early to say when the legislature would be recalled, he said, adding one of the first orders of business will be swearing in a new cabinet.
Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said in a statement it appears the parties will have to work together for the legislature to function effectively.
She said earlier the two Green members elected to the legislature could play a pivotal role in the workings of the government.
Messages of congratulations came in late Monday from the B.C. Federation of Labour and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.
"This victory marks an important step toward deeper reconciliation, respect for Indigenous rights, and a shared future built on partnership and commitment to address the climate emergency," Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said in a statement.
Rustad's unlikely rise came after he was thrown out of the Opposition in 2022, then known as the BC Liberals, joined the B.C. Conservatives, quickly was acclaimed leader, and steered them to a level of popularity that led to the collapse of his old party, which had changed its name to BC United — all in just two years.
A group of former BC United MLAs running as Independents were all defeated, with Karin Kirkpatrick, Dan Davies, Coralee Oakes, Mike Bernier and Tom Shypitka losing to Conservatives.
Aisha Estey, president of the B.C. Conservative Party, said she spent the weekend in a warehouse watching the counting of mail-in ballots.
In a post on social media, she said: "Elections BC staff have been working tirelessly and doing their best within the confines of the legislation that governs their work."
"Would we have liked mail-ins to be counted closer to (election day)? Sure," she added. "But I saw nothing that caused me concern."
Here are some of the key numbers about the election, based on estimates provided by Elections BC:
Eligible voters: 3,550,017
Total votes cast: 2,105,534
Estimated turnout: 59.3 per cent
NDP vote share: 44.9 per cent
B.C. Conservative vote share: 43.3 per cent
Green Party vote share: 8.2 per cent
Advance votes: 1,001,331 (46 per cent of total)
Votes in initial Oct. 20 count: 2,039,460 (97 per cent of total)
Mail-in and assisted telephone votes counted on weekend: 43,538 (two per cent of total)
Absentee and special ballots being counted Monday: 22,536 (one per cent of total)