Update: 7 p.m.
Although the Elections BC website shows Conservative candidate Kristina Loewen the winner in Kelowna-Centre, there will be a judicial recount of the votes.
The final numbers show Loewen with 11,031 votes and NDP candidate Loyal Wooldridge with 10,993, just a 38 vote difference. A judicial recount is required if the difference between the top two candidates falls within 1/500 of the total ballots considered. In the case of Kelowna-Centre it's 49 votes or fewer.
Loewen told Black Press Media that after an exhausting week, she was, “happy to be officially declared the winner and excited to get to work for the people of Kelowna-Centre.”
“I was able to take part by observation in both of these processes (recount and absentee votes), and I can say that I have so much respect for our Elections BC office. As an individual who has worked many elections in the past, and even scrutineered once or twice, I am always impressed by our electoral processes here in Canada, British Columbia and in the various municipalities as well,” wrote Loewen in an email statement.
Acknowledging that the Kelowna-Centre race was closer than imagined or desired, she believes it made clear that voting matters.
“Like one volunteer said, after this, you can ‘assume your vote will determine the election’,” said Loewen.
The riding of Surrey-Guilford is also heading for a judicial recount. NDP candidate Garry Begg leads Conservative candidate Honveer Singh Randhawa by 27 votes.
The Elections BC website shows the NDP with 47 seats in the legislature to the Conservatives 44. Enough to form a majority government.
Update: 6:30 p.m.
B.C. Conservative Kristina Loewen is poised to claim Kelowna-Centre, but a judicial recount is on the horizon.
As of 6 p.m., Elections BC had Loewen at 11,031 votes while NDP’s Loyal Wooldridge sat at 10,993 votes counted, leaving 38 votes between them.
Following the preliminary results on election night, Oct. 19, Loewen had a lead of 149 votes. The gap closed to a 72-vote lead while ballots were being counted on Oct. 26.
There were 818 absentee and mail-in ballots to be counted in Kelowna-Centre.
Provincially, approximately 65,000 absentee and mail-in ballots were tallied over the weekend.
In addition to the counting of mail-in and absentee votes, a partial recount was requested by Wooldridge after an error was found between a ballot account and a tabulator results tape.
On Oct. 28, the number of absentee ballots put Loewen and Wooldridge in a closer race than on election night. As Elections BC works towards the conclusion of its count, the number between the Conservatives and NDP in Kelowna-Centre has bounced around from 64 to 46, to 44, with Loewen always ahead.
Elections BC spokesperson Wesley MacInnis told Black Press Media that once the final count is complete by the end of today (Monday, Oct. 28), Elections BC will be able to confirm if a district will go to an automatic judicial recount. If the difference between the top two candidates following the conclusion of the final count is less than 1/500th of the total ballots considered, there will be an automatic judicial recount in that district.
With an estimated total of 25,747 ballots cast in Kelowna-Centre (subject to shift slightly this evening), that would mean a margin of less than 51 votes to trigger a judicial recount. At this point, the margin between Loewen and Wooldridge will certainly fall under that threshold.
~With files from Surrey Now-Leader Staff
Update: Oct. 28, 5 p.m.
The gap continues to tighten as absentee ballots are counted in the Kelowna-Centre riding.
Only 35 votes separate the leading Conservative candidate Kristina Loewen from her NDP counterpart Loyal Wooldridge.
Loewen leads with 11,028 votes while Wooldridge trails at 10,993.
Update: Oct. 28, 3 p.m.
Conservative's Kristina Loewen still leads the Kelowna-Centre riding as Elections B.C. continues to update its website hourly while absentee ballots are counted.
Loewen holds the lead with 11,027 votes, 44 ballots ahead of NDP's Loyal Wooldridge who currently has 10,983 cast in his favour.
Update: Oct. 28, 2 p.m.
The most recent update from Elections B.C. has lessened the gap again in the Kelowna-Centre riding. Conservative Kristina Loewen is just 46 votes ahead of NDP's Loyal Wooldridge.
Update: Oct. 28, 1 p.m.
With Elections B.C. updating absentee ballots on the hour a new total has been tallied for Kelowna-Centre. Conservative Kristina Loewen is leading with 10,972 vo0tes to the NDP's Loyal Wooldridge at 10,908 votes. A difference of 64 votes.
Update: Oct. 28 12:05 p.m.
The most recent update from Elections B.C. has Kristina Loewen leading in Kelowna-Centre with 10,967 votes to the NDP's Loyal Wooldridge at 10,905 votes. A difference of 62 votes.
Update: Oct. 28 11:45 a.m.
Elections B.C. reports that the differential in Kelowna-Centre is now 60 votes as absentee ballots are counted. Conservative candidate Kristina Loewen 10,961 votes and NDP candidate Loyal Wooldridge has 10,901 votes.
Original
Conservative candidate Kristina Loewen continues to be the front runner following a the tabulation of all 65,000 absentee and mail-in votes and a partial recount of ballots cast in the Kelowna-Centre riding of the 2024 B.C. Election.
NDP's Loyal Wooldridge now trails Loewen by 68 votes.
Following the preliminary results on election night, Oct. 19, Loewen had a lead of 149 votes. The gap closed to a 72 vote lead while ballots were being counted on Oct. 26.
There were 818 absentee and mail-in ballots to be counted in Kelowna-Centre.
Provincially, approximately 65,000 absentee and mail-in ballots were tallied over the weekend.
In addition to the counting of mail-in and absentee votes, a partial recount was requested by Wooldridge after an error was found between a ballot account and a tabulator results tape.The recount was completed on Oct. 27.
The final count of all absentee ballots is ongoing and is expected to take place tomorrow, Oct. 28. Elections BC said results will be updated on their website every hour.
