B.C. election latest: Polls close as voters decide next provincial government

8:15 p.m.

There’s a stark contrast of mood and attendance at the two major parties’ election night events in Vancouver.

There’s a large crowd at the Conservatives’ event at the Rocky Mountaineer Station where supporters are watching election coverage on the big screen in the front of the room.

The NDP event at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront has plenty of reporters but much sparser attendance from supporters.

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8:00 p.m.

Polls have closed across British Columbia as voting officially concludes in the provincial election.

Elections BC says advance votes will be tabulated electronically and are being counted first.

Almost 900,000 people, or 24 per cent of registered voters, cast ballots in the advance polls.

Votes that were cast on Saturday will be counted manually due to what the agency called the logistics of the snap election.

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7:43 p.m.

Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association president Carolyn Howe says she has felt disappointment with the NDP, despite the party’s history with labour movements.

Howe is running for the Greens in Victoria-Swan Lake and says “it’s time for something better.”

She says people had been waiting on the NDP government to act on issues such as public services but nothing has happened.

Speaking at the Greens election-night event, Howe says she is excited for how the Greens will do in the election and thinks the party will “have so much to celebrate.”

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7:40 p.m.

British Columbia Government and Service Employees’ Union president Paul Finch is at the NDP election night event in Vancouver and says he hopes voters had the chance to assess the different platforms between the parties before they cast their ballots.

Finch says he is hopeful that the voters will bring a “strong” and “progressive” government but adds he himself did not get as much information from the platforms as he would have liked.

He adds that the union has planned for all circumstances stemming from the election, but it’s too early to tell on what the group would do in dealing with a possible Conservative government.

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7:33 p.m.

A B.C. Conservative candidate arriving at the party’s election night event in Vancouver says the mood is “cautiously optimistic” as polls are set to close.

Carson Binda, the Conservative candidate for Vancouver-Quilchena opposite former party member and current OneBC interim leader Dallas Brodie, says people are “eager for change” and all candidates are “100 per cent” behind interim leader Lorne Doerkson.

Binda says he does not want to “count our chickens before they hatch,” but the local campaign isn’t concerned about Brodie splitting the vote as the Conservatives “had a hard time finding OneBC supporters.”

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6:21 p.m.

Supporters have begun arriving at the B.C. Green Party’s election night event in the Greater Victoria area, including outgoing MLA Rob Botterell.

Botterell decided not to seek re-election, clearing the way for Leader Emily Lowan to run.

He says he is proud of Lowan and the party’s campaign after NDP Leader David Eby called a snap election.

The outgoing MLA says people in his riding have told him they are “totally impressed” with Lowan’s poise and advocacy for Green causes, as well as her passion and vision.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

B.C. election latest: Polls close as voters decide next provincial government

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