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The three major parties had a near-even split of seats in the province going into the vote, but cratering poll numbers for the New Democrats mean many B.C. seats are up for grabs.

Voters headed to the polls amid an outpouring of grief over an attack at a Filipino festival in Vancouver where 11 people were killed and dozens more were hurt on Saturday. 

Excitement around the election was tempered as mourners and politicians, including NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, attended a vigil Sunday night for the victims, who ranged in age from five to 65.

Greg Millard, part of the political science faculty at B.C.‘s Kwantlen Polytechnic University, says the province could be important in determining whether it’s a majority or minority government.

Millard estimated there are more than a dozen tight races in the province that could “flip” after Singh’s NDP dropped in the polls and a narrative emerged that the election was a choice between Carney’s Liberals and the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre.

Elections Canada spokesman James Hale was at the main Vancouver polling station at the city’s Central Library downtown over lunchtime, and was surprised at how quiet it was.

Asked if slow polls may be due to the advance voting turnout, Hale said everything is speculative “until you see the final numbers.” 

A record 7.3 million voters across Canada took part in advance polls over the Easter weekend, which Hale said happened on a “very beautiful weekend” in B.C. 

Voters who turned out on election day in Vancouver also braved a steady downpour of rain.

Advance voting turnout in B.C. was among the strongest in Canada, with about 30 per cent of the province’s electors casting ballots early, based on registration numbers for last year’s provincial vote. 

More than 1.1 million people in B.C. voted in advance polls, up about 35 per cent from 2021. 

Hale said in an interview that voting at the Central Library “was steady, but I wouldn’t call it busy,” noting his take is “purely anecdotal.”

All three major party leaders spent a significant amount of time campaigning in B.C., something Millard said is common for an area that is considered a battleground.

He said the ballot issues in the province were similar to the rest of the country, including a focus on anxiety around U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats against Canada. 

High housing costs were also a focus of those looking for votes, particularly in the expensive Lower Mainland, as well as concerns about crime in other voter-rich areas.

Both NDP Lader Jagmeet Singh’s Burnaby riding and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May’s Saanich—Gulf Islands seat are far from a sure thing.

 “That is probably one of the big B.C. stories. Are these leaders going to survive? Jagmeet Singh, his riding is absolutely not safe at this point. Neither are many traditionally safe NDP seats,” Millard said in an interview Friday.

“I think Elizabeth May, a long-standing party leader, she too is in some jeopardy in Saanich—Gulf Islands. So, I think that’s a big story. Will B.C. be the end of the line for two of the leaders of two smaller parties?”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2025.