BC election results will begin appearing after voting ends Saturday night, as British Columbians choose members of the Legislative Assembly in all 93 electoral districts.
Polling places are scheduled to close at 8 p.m. Pacific time on October 24, 2026, or 11 p.m. Eastern time.
Elections BC says preliminary results will be posted after voting closes.
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Bc Election Results: When will B.C. election results be released?
Results are not available before all voting places close, meaning voters should expect the first numbers late Saturday evening in British Columbia and Eastern Canada, with counting potentially continuing into the early hours of Sunday.
The initial count will include most ballots cast during advance voting, at district electoral offices and at assigned voting places on Final Voting Day.
That first count will show which candidates are leading in individual ridings, but preliminary figures are not necessarily the legally final result.
What is being decided in the 2026 B.C. election?
Voters are electing 93 MLAs to represent the province’s electoral districts in the next Legislative Assembly.
The party that wins at least 47 seats would hold a majority in the 93-seat legislature.
The final governing arrangement will depend on the number of seats won by each party and whether any seats remain too close to call.
BC NDP Leader David Eby is seeking another term as premier, while the Conservative Party, BC Green Party, CentreBC and other parties are also contesting seats across the province.
The final candidate list included 355 candidates, with candidates representing 10 political parties as well as independent and unaffiliated contenders.
How to read the early results
Election-night figures should be read as a developing count rather than an immediate provincewide verdict.
A candidate listed as “leading” is ahead in the reported vote at that point, while a candidate listed as “elected” has been declared the winner of the riding by Elections BC.
Close races may take longer to resolve, especially where the margin is narrow or where additional ballots could affect the result.
Readers should also distinguish between the provincewide popular vote and the seat count.
The party with the most votes across B.C. is not automatically guaranteed the most seats because the legislature is decided riding by riding.
Why some ballots will be counted later
Elections BC says some ballots will not be included in the election-night count, including certain vote-by-mail ballots, assisted telephone voting ballots and absentee ballots cast at special voting opportunities.
Those ballots are scheduled to be counted about two weeks after Final Voting Day, after election officials complete additional checks to confirm voter eligibility and ensure that ballots are counted only once.
The planned final count is scheduled for November 6 to 10, 2026.
Elections BC has also listed November 18 as Return Day, when the writs are returned and the election process is formally completed, according to its 2026 Provincial Election information.
What happens next
Once the polls close, Elections BC will update its official results system as returning offices report their counts.
Political parties may declare victories in individual ridings during the night, but the official status of each seat rests with Elections BC.
As the count develops, the key questions will be whether one party reaches the 47-seat majority threshold, whether the balance of power shifts between the major parties and how many ridings remain unresolved after the initial count.
Readers checking results should use the Elections BC results page for the official count and treat unofficial projections or party announcements as separate from the formal election declarations.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the B.C. election results start appearing?
Preliminary results are expected after polls close at 8 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
How many seats are in the B.C. legislature?
The 2026 election covers 93 electoral districts and 93 seats in the Legislative Assembly.
How many seats are needed for a majority government in B.C.?
A party needs at least 47 of the 93 seats to hold a majority.
Will all B.C. election ballots be counted on election night?
No. Some mail-in, absentee and other ballots are scheduled for counting during the planned final-count period from November 6 to 10.
Where can I check the official B.C. election results?
The official count is published through Elections BC’s results system at results.elections.bc.ca.
Fact-Checked: Key dates, including Saturday, October 24, 2026, the 8 p.m. Pacific and 11 p.m. Eastern poll-closing times, counting procedures and the planned November 6-10 final-count period were checked against Elections BC information.
Disclaimer: Election-night figures are preliminary until Elections BC completes its final count and formally declares the results.