Early results from Saturday’s British Columbia provincial election show the Ladysmith‑Oceanside riding locked in a razor‑thin contest that will not be settled until mail‑in and absentee ballots are counted next week.
Margin of a few dozen votes keeps outcome uncertain
As of the latest preliminary figures, Conservative candidate Kris McNichol leads NDP incumbent Stephanie Higginson by just 90 votes, with 89 polls reporting. The close margin leaves the final outcome dependent on ballots that Elections BC will not open until the official final count, scheduled from 6 to 10 November.
The riding stretches along Vancouver Island and includes Ladysmith alongside Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanoose Bay, Cassidy, Saltair and Lasqueti Island. According to reporting, about 17,436 voters cast ballots during advance voting in a riding with 51,098 registered electors.
- Preliminary votes: McNichol 13,418; Higginson 13,328; Green candidate Charlene Smylie 3,365.
- Mail‑in and absentee ballots remain outstanding and will be counted from 6 November.
- A potential recount or judicial review is possible under provincial rules if the final margin meets statutory thresholds.
| Candidate | Party | Preliminary votes |
|---|---|---|
| Kris McNichol | Conservative | 13,418 |
| Stephanie Higginson | NDP | 13,328 |
| Charlene Smylie | BC Greens | 3,365 |
What the leading candidate has said
McNichol, who is reported to have a long connection to the island through business interests in industrial, marine and construction sectors, declined to celebrate while the final count is pending. He emphasised an approach that downplays partisan labels and stressed health‑care issues during his campaign, saying he would press for promised funding for a cardiac catheterisation lab.
“We have a lot of problems in this province and our job as politicians is to work for the people and make it better for their lives… Let’s do what’s right for the province, I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on, let’s work together.”
Higginson, an educator who won the seat when the riding was created in 2024, had not provided a statement in the immediate aftermath of the preliminary count, the reports say.
Process and possible outcomes
Elections BC will commence counting the outstanding mail‑in and absentee ballots on 6 November; the final count period runs to 10 November. The outstanding ballots could be decisive in such a close race. Provincial rules also provide for recounts or judicial review in narrow margins: one report noted that a recount may be requested where the difference between the top two candidates is below a legislated fraction of total ballots considered.
For residents of Ladysmith included in the riding, the delay underscores how modern voting methods and close pluralities can leave representation unresolved for days after polling stations close. The preliminary figures show a three‑way contest in which the Greens also captured a significant share of votes, a dynamic that likely shaped the tight finish between the two leading candidates.
Broadly across Vancouver Island, contests were reported to be competitive in many ridings, and parties were watching mail‑in counts with interest as they could influence the balance of seats in the 44th provincial legislature. A party needs 47 seats for a majority.
The next confirmed public step is the final count by Elections BC starting on 6 November, after which any candidate or party entitled to challenge the result may pursue the formal legal avenues available under provincial election law.
