OneBC candidates listed as independent on ballot after Elections BC dispute
Four OneBC candidates in British Columbia appear on the October 24 ballot without party affiliation after Elections BC said their paperwork did not meet the filing requirements.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on peacearchnews.com.
Four OneBC candidates will appear on the October 24, 2026 ballot as unaffiliated rather than as OneBC candidates, after Elections BC said their filing paperwork did not meet the requirements, Peace Arch News reported on October 9.
The party says it may go to court over the decision.
Who is affected
James Yaroshuk, running in Surrey-Guildford, and Denis R Hurtubise in Surrey South will appear on the ballot without a party name. Peace Arch News also reported that Helen Scott in Peace River South and Lee-Ann Bates in Port Coquitlam are in the same position. In Vancouver Yaletown, Timothy Webster is no longer listed as a candidate at all. One candidate in Burnaby North had her affiliation restored after the party took further steps.
What OneBC says
Party communications director Wyatt Claypool described the problem as "paperwork technicalities." He told Peace Arch News the party was cc'd on all relevant emails and sent campaign packages from its own account, and said Elections BC was "dragging its feet" on accepting that. He said the party may go to court: "We might now have to fully go to court to basically say, we were the ones cc'd on all these emails, and Elections BC is trying to drag its feet and say there's paperwork issues."
Elections BC had not publicly commented on the dispute by publication time.
What Yaroshuk says
Yaroshuk told Peace Arch News the situation was frustrating for someone running in his first election. He said he joined OneBC because he believed in its platform and wanted to draw on the party's experience, and that losing the affiliation reduced the help he could receive.
"They are going to give me as much help as they are legally able to with the Elections BC rules," Yaroshuk said. "I do know that they're still trying a couple of last-minute things to get me on the ballot as OneBC, but at this point I'm moving forward as an independent in my campaign."
What this means for voters
Voters considering a candidate from OneBC in Surrey-Guildford, Surrey South, Peace River South, or Port Coquitlam should check Elections BC's official candidate list at elections.bc.ca before October 24 to confirm the current ballot status of any candidate they plan to support.
Questions this story answers
Why are some OneBC candidates listed as unaffiliated on the October 24 ballot?
Elections BC told the party that the filing paperwork for some of its candidates did not meet the requirements. OneBC communications director Wyatt Claypool described the issue as 'paperwork technicalities' in a statement to Peace Arch News. He said the party was cc'd on the relevant emails and maintains it met its obligations, but Elections BC has not accepted that argument. The affected candidates appear on the ballot without a party name beside their name.
Which OneBC candidates are listed as unaffiliated on the ballot?
Peace Arch News reported on October 9, 2026 that James Yaroshuk in Surrey-Guildford, Denis R Hurtubise in Surrey South, Helen Scott in Peace River South, and Lee-Ann Bates in Port Coquitlam are listed as unaffiliated. In Vancouver Yaletown, Timothy Webster is no longer listed as a candidate at all, according to the same article. A fifth candidate in Burnaby North had her OneBC affiliation restored after the party took further steps, the article says.
Can voters in Surrey-Guildford or Surrey South still support OneBC?
Voters can cast a ballot for James Yaroshuk in Surrey-Guildford or Denis R Hurtubise in Surrey South, but Elections BC's ballot will not show OneBC beside their names. Yaroshuk told Peace Arch News that OneBC would give him as much help as elections rules allow and that he was moving forward as an independent. For current ballot information, voters can check Elections BC at elections.bc.ca.
Is OneBC going to court over this dispute?
Wyatt Claypool, OneBC's communications director, told Peace Arch News on October 9 that the party might go to court. He said: 'We might now have to fully go to court to basically say, we were the ones cc'd on all these emails or we were the ones sending all these campaign packages to Elections BC from our account, and Elections BC is trying to drag its feet and say there's paperwork issues.' No court filing had been confirmed by the time Peace Arch News published the article.
What did James Yaroshuk say about being listed as unaffiliated?
Yaroshuk told Peace Arch News it was a frustrating situation for a first-time candidate. He said: 'I signed up with OneBC because I believe in their platforms and their grassroots movement, and I was hoping to lean on their expertise for this first campaign. Because I'm not affiliated with them any longer, that reduces the amount of help that I can get from them.' He added that he was moving forward as an independent while the party tried last-minute options.
What is OneBC?
OneBC is a registered provincial party running candidates in the October 24, 2026 British Columbia general election. The party describes itself as a grassroots movement. You can read about OneBC and its candidates at voche.me's party page for the election.
What happens to votes cast for unaffiliated candidates who are linked to OneBC?
A vote cast for James Yaroshuk in Surrey-Guildford or Denis R Hurtubise in Surrey South counts toward that individual candidate, not toward any party. Because their ballots do not show a party name, the vote cannot be counted as a OneBC vote. Elections BC is the authority on how ballots are counted, and voters with questions can contact Elections BC at elections.bc.ca.
Where can voters find the official list of candidates for October 24?
Elections BC publishes the official candidate list at elections.bc.ca. The list shows the name, party affiliation, and district for every confirmed candidate. Voters can also see candidates organized by district on the voche.me BC provincial election pages.
Sources
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