Ladysmith-Oceanside heads to judicial recount as NDP leads by 50 votes
Elections BC's final count puts BC NDP candidate Stephanie Higginson ahead of Conservative Kris McNichol by 50 votes in Ladysmith-Oceanside, triggering an automatic judicial recount under BC election law.
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BC NDP candidate Stephanie Higginson leads Conservative Kris McNichol by 50 votes in Ladysmith-Oceanside after Elections BC completed its final count, CHEK News reported on November 9, 2026. The result triggers an automatic judicial recount under BC election law.
Elections BC's final count, as of November 8, 2026 at 4:21 p.m. Pacific, shows Higginson with 14,354 votes and McNichol with 14,304. These are unofficial results until the Chief Electoral Officer declares them official, which must happen no later than November 10, 2026.
Why a judicial recount follows
Under BC election law, a judicial recount is automatically ordered when the top two candidates in a district finish within 100 votes of each other after the final count. A margin of 50 votes is well within that threshold.
The deadline to file an application for a judicial recount is three days after the Chief Electoral Officer's official declaration of results. The declaration must come no later than November 10, 2026, which means the application window closes as late as November 16, 2026.
A judicial recount is a court-supervised review of all ballots in the district. A judge examines disputed ballots and decides whether any should be counted differently from how they were counted in the final count. The result may change, or it may be confirmed unchanged.
Kelowna Centre also heading to recount
Ladysmith-Oceanside is one of two BC districts heading to a judicial recount after the final count. In Kelowna Centre, Conservative incumbent Kristina Loewen leads BC NDP candidate Loyal Wooldridge by 43 votes: 11,689 to 11,646. That is the second consecutive recount in Kelowna Centre. The 2024 provincial election recount there changed nothing.
Province-wide picture
The Conservative Party of BC holds 64 seats and the BC NDP holds 27, with the BC Green Party holding 2, in Elections BC's final count. A seat change in Ladysmith-Oceanside would not affect the Conservative majority: 47 seats are needed to hold a majority in the 93-seat BC Legislature, and the Conservatives hold 64. Full district-by-district results are at results.elections.bc.ca.
Questions this story answers
What is the vote count in Ladysmith-Oceanside after Elections BC's final count?
Elections BC's final count, as of November 8, 2026 at 4:21 p.m. Pacific, shows BC NDP candidate Stephanie Higginson with 14,354 votes and Conservative Kris McNichol with 14,304 votes in Ladysmith-Oceanside. The margin between them is 50 votes. These are unofficial results until the Chief Electoral Officer declares them official, which must happen no later than November 10, 2026.
Why is Ladysmith-Oceanside going to a judicial recount?
Under BC election law, a judicial recount is automatically ordered when the top two candidates in a district finish within 100 votes of each other after the final count. In Ladysmith-Oceanside, BC NDP candidate Stephanie Higginson leads Conservative Kris McNichol by 50 votes, well within that threshold, so a judicial recount will follow the official declaration of results.
When is the deadline to apply for the Ladysmith-Oceanside judicial recount?
Under the BC Election Act, an application for a judicial recount must be filed within three days of the Chief Electoral Officer's official declaration of results. The Chief Electoral Officer must declare results no later than November 10, 2026, which means the deadline to file for a judicial recount in Ladysmith-Oceanside is November 16, 2026 at the latest, depending on the exact day of declaration.
What is a judicial recount in British Columbia?
A judicial recount in BC is a court-supervised recount of all ballots in a district. It is automatically ordered when the top two candidates finish within 100 votes of each other after the final count. A judge examines disputed ballots and decides whether any should be counted differently. The process can change the final result or confirm it, and there is a strict deadline for filing the application after the official declaration.
Is Ladysmith-Oceanside the only BC district going to a judicial recount?
No. Kelowna Centre is also heading to a judicial recount after Elections BC's final count. Conservative incumbent Kristina Loewen leads BC NDP candidate Loyal Wooldridge by 43 votes in Kelowna Centre: 11,689 to 11,646. That is the second consecutive recount in Kelowna Centre; the 2024 provincial election recount changed nothing there. The Ladysmith-Oceanside and Kelowna Centre pages at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/ will be updated as the recount process proceeds.
Who is Stephanie Higginson?
Stephanie Higginson is the BC NDP candidate in Ladysmith-Oceanside. Elections BC's final count, as of November 8, 2026, shows her with 14,354 votes, 50 ahead of Conservative Kris McNichol. Her candidate page is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/stephanie-higginson.
Who is Kris McNichol?
Kris McNichol is the Conservative Party of BC candidate in Ladysmith-Oceanside. Elections BC's final count, as of November 8, 2026, shows him with 14,304 votes, 50 behind BC NDP candidate Stephanie Higginson. His candidate page is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/kris-mcnichol.
What happens if the judicial recount changes the result in Ladysmith-Oceanside?
If a judicial recount changes the winner in Ladysmith-Oceanside, that would shift one seat from the BC NDP to the Conservative Party of BC, or leave it with the NDP. The Conservative Party currently holds 64 seats and the BC NDP holds 27 after Elections BC's final count on November 8, 2026. A seat change in Ladysmith-Oceanside would not affect whether the Conservatives hold a majority: 47 seats are needed, and they hold 64.
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