Stephanie Higginson leads Kris McNichol by 13 votes in Ladysmith-Oceanside after Elections BC corrects a data entry error
Elections BC corrected a data entry error on October 25 that reversed the lead in Ladysmith-Oceanside, putting BC NDP candidate Stephanie Higginson 13 votes ahead of Conservative Kris McNichol. A recount and mail-in ballot count runs November 6 to 10.
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Stephanie Higginson of the BC NDP leads Ladysmith-Oceanside by 13 votes over Conservative Kris McNichol after Elections BC corrected a data entry error on October 25. As of Elections BC's preliminary count at 10:34 a.m. Pacific on October 26, Higginson holds 13,380 votes (44.37 per cent) against McNichol's 13,367 (44.33 per cent).
The Nanaimo News Bulletin reported the correction. On election night, October 24, McNichol had been shown leading by 89 votes.
What Elections BC corrected
Elections BC announced a data entry error on October 25 that changed the vote totals and reversed the lead in Ladysmith-Oceanside, the Nanaimo News Bulletin reported. The agency did not describe the specific mistake in the reporting cited.
Charlene Smylie of the BC Green Party received 3,365 votes (11.16 per cent) in the preliminary count. Total valid votes in the district: 30,112, according to Elections BC.
What the candidates said
Higginson told the Nanaimo News Bulletin: "It's always nice to be going into a recount on the higher side of the ledger, but we have learned in this election not to take anything for granted."
McNichol said: "This is democracy at its finest. We'll see what happens in the recount and the mail-in ballots and all those ballots." He told the paper his first priority if elected would be a catheterization laboratory at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, so that heart procedures could be done locally instead of requiring patients to travel to Vancouver.
The next count
Elections BC's preliminary count covers ballots cast in person on voting day, October 24. Vote-by-mail, assisted telephone and absentee ballots are counted about two weeks later. The final count, which will add those ballots and include a formal recount in Ladysmith-Oceanside, runs from November 6 to 10, 2026.
The current figures are preliminary. Elections BC's results page at results.elections.bc.ca shows updated totals as they are confirmed, with an "As of" time. Any change in the lead will appear there first.
Follow the final count at Elections BC's results page, starting November 6, to see whether the lead in Ladysmith-Oceanside changes when mail-in and absentee ballots are added.
Questions this story answers
Who is leading in Ladysmith-Oceanside after the Elections BC correction?
As of Elections BC's preliminary count at 10:34 a.m. Pacific on October 26, 2026, BC NDP candidate Stephanie Higginson leads with 13,380 votes (44.37 per cent) against Conservative Kris McNichol at 13,367 votes (44.33 per cent), a lead of 13 votes. Elections BC corrected a data entry error on October 25 that had previously shown McNichol ahead by 89 votes.
What was the original election night result in Ladysmith-Oceanside?
On election night, October 24, 2026, Conservative Kris McNichol was shown leading Ladysmith-Oceanside by 89 votes over BC NDP candidate Stephanie Higginson, the Nanaimo News Bulletin reported. Elections BC announced a data entry error on October 25 that reversed the lead, putting Higginson ahead by 13 votes in the corrected preliminary count.
When is the recount in Ladysmith-Oceanside?
Elections BC will count mail-in ballots and hold a recount in Ladysmith-Oceanside from November 6 to 10, 2026. The agency calls its current figures a preliminary count. Vote-by-mail, assisted telephone and absentee ballots are counted about two weeks after voting day. The final count across all 93 districts is set for November 6, 2026.
How many total votes were cast in Ladysmith-Oceanside?
Elections BC's preliminary count as of October 26, 2026 at 10:34 a.m. Pacific shows 30,112 valid votes cast in Ladysmith-Oceanside. Stephanie Higginson (BC NDP) received 13,380 (44.37 per cent), Kris McNichol (Conservative) received 13,367 (44.33 per cent), and Charlene Smylie (BC Green) received 3,365 (11.16 per cent). Those figures are from Elections BC's own results page.
What did the candidates say about the recount?
Stephanie Higginson said after the correction, as reported by the Nanaimo News Bulletin: 'It's always nice to be going into a recount on the higher side of the ledger, but we have learned in this election not to take anything for granted.' Kris McNichol said: 'This is democracy at its finest. We'll see what happens in the recount and the mail-in ballots and all those ballots.'
Where can I find current results for Ladysmith-Oceanside?
Elections BC publishes preliminary results for every district, including Ladysmith-Oceanside, at results.elections.bc.ca. The page updates every few minutes and shows an 'As of' time. The final count for Ladysmith-Oceanside runs November 6 to 10, 2026, when mail-in and absentee ballots are added. The district page on this site is at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/ladysmith-oceanside.
What is Kris McNichol's priority if elected?
Kris McNichol, the Conservative candidate in Ladysmith-Oceanside, told the Nanaimo News Bulletin his first priority if elected would be a catheterization laboratory at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, which would allow heart procedures to be done locally instead of requiring patients to travel to Vancouver.
What is a data entry error in an Elections BC count?
Elections BC reported a data entry error on October 25, 2026 in Ladysmith-Oceanside that changed the preliminary vote totals and reversed the leading candidate, the Nanaimo News Bulletin reported. The agency did not describe the specific mistake in the reporting cited. Elections BC's preliminary count covers ballots counted on voting night; mail-in, assisted telephone and absentee ballots are added during the final count starting November 6.
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