The B.C. Conservatives picked up a seat in Burnaby South-Metrotown when the final count of the October provincial election was completed, giving the party 64 seats in the legislature. The late tally, which covered 93 ridings and about 150,000 mail-in, phone and absentee ballots, confirmed a result that had narrowed considerably as counting continued.
In Burnaby South-Metrotown, Conservative David Xie unseated NDP incumbent Paul Choi by 64 votes. Choi had led by 66 votes before the final count, and the riding required a recount before the outcome was settled. The reversal was decisive in a contest that had been expected to remain close until the last ballots were tabulated.
In Ladysmith-Oceanside, the outcome went the other way. NDP incumbent Stephanie Higginson held her seat, defeating Conservative Kris McNichol by 50 votes. Her lead had been 13 votes before the final count, and that riding also needed a recount to confirm the result.
Across the province, the final figures show the Conservatives with 47.4 per cent of the vote and 64 seats. The NDP won 27 seats with 37.6 per cent of the vote, and the Green Party took two seats with 11.2 per cent. The breakdown gives the Conservatives a commanding majority in the legislature, while the NDP is left with its smallest share of seats in this election cycle.
The close margins in both ridings underline how much the count mattered. Ballots arriving by mail, phone and absentee channels were processed after election day, and the late-counted votes proved enough to move results in two of the tightest contests. The outcome confirms that the Conservatives will form the government, with the NDP and Greens in opposition.
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