Frankly Speaking

Voting day is over, and the NDP almost certainly has a majority government. However, the final count may not be 55 seats for them, 29 for the Liberals and three for the Greens, as it was on election night. At least 525,000 mail-in ballots have yet to be counted, according to elections BC. The number varies from riding to riding. But in most Lower Mainland ridings, the number seems to be in the 10,000 range. The calls by multiple media outlets on Saturday night of an NDP majority government angered many voters who used the mail option. The reality is this: the margins of victory in most ridings aren't likely to change substantially, and thus far that means the NDP have a majority. But in 10 ridings or so, there is a chance of a shift. Members of the media, like most B.C. residents, have no idea how the mail-in ballots will be distributed among candidates. Any "calls" are a gamble. In at least four ridings, it is very possible for the election night leader in vote counts to...

  John Horgan is likely to lead the NDP to its biggest win ever in B.C. The party could win more than 50 seats in Saturday's election. The NDP are likely to win a substantial majority government in Saturday’s election. It looks like the party could end up with more than 50 seats. This would be the most seats the party has ever held in the B.C. Legislature, and it is likely to win seats in areas where it has never or hardly ever won before. The final results won’t be in until two weeks after the election, due to more than 700,000 mail-in ballots which are a direct result of holding an election during a pandemic, but it is still quite likely that B.C. residents will find out on Saturday that there will be an NDP majority. Residents will still be waiting for results in close ridings, which will probably number about 15. In the Lower Mainland, the NDP’s second-best stronghold after Vancouver Island, the NDP is likely to win a number of seats the BC Liberals have held since at least 199...

  In Surrey at least, the BC Liberals may have new life after announcing that the policing transition requires a referendum before going any farther. This, of course, will only happen should party leader Andrew Wilkinson gain enough seats to become premier. The policing transition in Surrey has become a major campaign issue in the provincial election, and it has the potential to give the  BC Liberals a big boost. Whether it will be enough for the party to regain power after more than three years in the political wilderness  is another question. The NDP are well ahead in the most recent public opinion polls. The BC Liberal party issued a statement on Sunday that a BC Liberal government would pause the transition process, and give Surrey residents a vote in a referendum on whether to switch to a new Surrey Police force or stick with the RCMP. Mike Farnworth, who as public safety minister gave the transition the green light and specifically said ...