B.C. Conservatives Secure 64th Seat After Final Vote Count Overturns NDP Victory in Burnaby
Sarah Desjardins
11/10/20265 min read
British Columbia's Conservative Party has expanded its majority in the provincial legislature after the final vote count overturned an earlier NDP lead in Burnaby South-Metrotown, giving the Conservatives an additional seat following the October 24 election.
Conservative candidate David Xie defeated incumbent NDP MLA Paul Choi by just 64 votes after Elections BC completed its final count across all 93 electoral districts.
The result marks a significant reversal from election night, when Choi appeared to have narrowly retained his seat with a 66-vote lead.
Following the counting of additional ballots and a recount, Xie emerged ahead, securing the riding for the Conservatives.
The updated results give the party 64 seats in the legislature, compared with 27 for the NDP and two for the B.C. Greens.
Although the final count is complete, Elections BC has identified two other ridings where the narrow margins require judicial recounts, meaning the distribution of seats could still change.
Burnaby South-Metrotown Flips After Close Recount
The Burnaby South-Metrotown contest was among the closest races in the provincial election.
Choi, who was first elected as an NDP MLA in 2024, initially appeared to have secured another term when the preliminary count placed him 66 votes ahead of Xie.
However, the narrow margin triggered an automatic recount, while additional ballots remained to be counted.
Following the final count, Xie received 6,570 votes, compared with 6,506 for Choi.
The final results represent a net shift of 130 votes between the two candidates' margins, transforming a narrow NDP lead into a Conservative victory.
Xie expressed relief following the announcement, describing the contest as a particularly close race.
He said he was grateful that the additional ballots had ultimately allowed him to move ahead.
For Choi, the result ends his tenure as the MLA for Burnaby South-Metrotown after approximately two years representing the constituency.
Choi was not immediately available to comment on the final result.
The outcome also demonstrates the importance of completing the entire vote-counting process before treating preliminary election-night leads as confirmed victories.
NDP Acknowledges Disappointment Over Narrow Loss
The result was another setback for the NDP, which had already suffered substantial losses in the provincial election.
NDP house leader Mike Farnworth expressed disappointment over Choi's defeat, particularly given the extremely small difference between the candidates.
Farnworth praised Choi's work as an MLA and said the loss would be felt within the party's reduced caucus.
He also acknowledged that the result was part of the democratic process, despite the frustration of losing a seat by such a narrow margin.
The NDP entered the election with 47 seats but has now been reduced to 27 following the final count.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, have increased their representation to 64 seats, securing more than two-thirds of the 93-member legislature.
The B.C. Greens retained two seats.
The election brought an end to the NDP's period in government, with the Conservatives preparing to take office under leader Lorne Doerkson.
Additional Ballots Play Important Role in Final Results
Election officials and party scrutineers spent several days reviewing and counting ballots that had not been included in the initial election-night totals.
Approximately 150,000 mail-in, absentee and telephone-assisted ballots were incorporated into the final counting process across the province.
These ballots are part of the official election results and can influence the outcome in closely contested ridings.
The additional votes were particularly important in Burnaby South-Metrotown, where the original difference between the leading candidates was small enough to be reversed.
Elections BC's final count also included additional verification procedures intended to ensure that ballots were counted accurately.
The election agency confirmed on November 10 that the final count had been completed in every electoral district.
According to its updated results, approximately 1.95 million votes were considered, bringing preliminary voter turnout to 52.17 per cent.
The Conservatives received approximately 47.7 per cent of valid votes, followed by the NDP with 37.6 per cent and the Greens with 11.2 per cent.
Although the Conservatives received less than half of the provincewide popular vote, the distribution of support across individual ridings gave the party a substantial legislative majority.
Two More Ridings Face Mandatory Judicial Recounts
While the Conservatives have gained Burnaby South-Metrotown, two other electoral districts remain subject to judicial recounts because of their exceptionally close results.
In Ladysmith-Oceanside, NDP incumbent Stephanie Higginson finished 50 votes ahead of Conservative candidate Kris McNichol.
Higginson received 14,354 votes, compared with 14,304 for McNichol.
The riding was already the closest contest on election night, when Higginson held a lead of just 13 votes.
The final count increased her margin, but the result remains within the threshold requiring a judicial recount.
In Kelowna Centre, Conservative incumbent Kristina Loewen finished 43 votes ahead of NDP candidate Loyal Wooldridge.
Loewen received 11,689 votes, while Wooldridge received 11,646.
The narrow margin means that a judicial recount is required in the riding for the second consecutive provincial election.
Under British Columbia's Election Act, a judicial recount is mandatory when the difference between the top two candidates is less than one five-hundredth of the total ballots considered in the riding.
In Kelowna Centre, that threshold is 48 votes or fewer, while in Ladysmith-Oceanside it is 64 votes or fewer.
Both contests fall within those limits.
Judicial Recounts Will Be Conducted Through B.C. Supreme Court
Unlike an administrative recount conducted by election officials, a judicial recount takes place under the authority of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
The process involves reviewing ballots and election records to determine whether the original count accurately reflects the votes cast.
Depending on the circumstances, the court may examine ballots, certification envelopes and other relevant election materials.
Elections BC has confirmed that applications for judicial recounts must be submitted by November 16.
The timing of the recount proceedings will be determined by the court.
Although judicial recounts do not frequently change election results, there have been exceptions in British Columbia.
In 2009, independent candidate Vicki Huntington initially trailed by two votes in Delta South but emerged with a 32-vote victory following a judicial recount.
The example illustrates why close results remain subject to formal review, even after election officials complete their final count.
Conservative Majority Confirmed as Final Legal Reviews Continue
With the final count completed, British Columbia's next legislature is taking shape following an election that produced a decisive change in government.
The Conservatives have secured 64 of the province's 93 seats, strengthening their majority and expanding their representation in Metro Vancouver following the Burnaby South-Metrotown result.
The NDP will enter the next legislative term as the Official Opposition, while the Greens will continue with two MLAs.
The pending judicial recounts in Kelowna Centre and Ladysmith-Oceanside could alter the final distribution of seats, although neither result would affect the Conservatives' overall majority.
For Xie, the completed count marks a narrow victory in a closely watched Burnaby contest.
For Choi and the NDP, it represents another loss following an election that substantially reduced the party's legislative representation.
As British Columbia prepares for its next provincial government, the remaining judicial recounts will provide the final legal review of two of the closest races in the October election.
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