Provincial election polls closed at 8 p.m. Saturday (Black Press Media photo)

Provincial election polls closed at 8 p.m. Saturday (Black Press Media photo)

NDP John Horgan wins Langford-Juan de Fuca

BC Green candidate Gord Baird takes second place early in the polls

  • Oct. 24, 2020 12:00 a.m.

NDP leader John Horgan has taken his home riding with almost 65 per cent of the popular vote as of 9:13 p.m.

Currently, Horgan, who is in Vancouver, has 2,138 votes counted with 44 of 79 ballot boxes counted.

Green candidate Gord Baird is in second place with 663 votes or almost 20 per cent of the popular vote. Liberal candidate Kelly Darwin is sitting at 530 with almost 16 per cent of the popular vote. Communist candidate Tyson Strandlund has 29 votes.

As of 8 p.m. the voting period ended and now the province is waiting to hear the outcome.

Scrutineers are counting the ballots, from the advanced polls and Election Day, by hand at each polling station.

Counting mail-in ballots will take time — a lot more than in past years, as these types of votes cannot be tabulated until at least 13 days after the election.

Horgan took to Twitter as polls closed to thank voters for “putting their lives on hold to help keep B.C. moving forward for everyone.”

“We’ll keep fighting for better health care, more opportunities, and to make life a little easier for families. That is my commitment to you. I have never been more honoured to serve as leader of the BC NDP,” he posted.

District Electoral Officer Cynthia Vance said that once polls close, the voting officers and the counting support teams will begin bringing the ballots to the office to be counted.

RELATED: Here’s your Greater Victoria roundup for the 2020 B.C. election


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