Elections BC applies for judicial recount in one Vancouver-area riding

VICTORIA – Elections BC says it will apply to the province’s Supreme Court for a judicial recount after the final tally of ballots reversed the outcome in the Coquitlam-Maillardville riding, putting the NDP candidate ahead of the Liberal by only 35 votes.

At the end of election night May 14, Liberal Steve Kim was declared the winner, but the official final count began this week and includes absentee ballots.

Elections BC says the NDP’s Selina Robinson is now ahead, prompting the district electoral officer to apply for a judicial recount because the difference between the top two candidates is less than 0.2 per cent of the ballots.

The organization that runs elections in the province says a judicial recount would be required for a vote spread under 43 votes in Coquitlam-Maillardville.

Prof. Doug McArthur of Simon Fraser University’s school of public policy says a judicial recount ensures the final count is accurate and sustainable.

The final results are expected Wednesday, but they aren’t expected to make too much difference in Vancouver Point-Grey, where Premier Christy Clark lost to the NDP’s David Eby by just over 1,000 votes.