Conservative leads race

UPDATE 8:28 p.m.

The polls have closed and results are coming in quickly.

In West Kelowna-Peachland Conservative candidate Macklin McCall has a strong lead over the competition.

Macklin has around 50.6 per cent of the vote, with eight of 22 ballot boxes accounted for, and BC NDP candidate Krystal Smith is trailing behind with 27 per cent of the vote, while independent Stephen Johnston has 21.5 per cent of the vote.

ORIGINAL 5 p.m.

There are three candidates vying to be an MLA in the Central Okanagan riding of West Kelowna - Peachland.

The riding, which was created out of parts of Kelowna West, Penticton and a small part of Fraser-Nicola, was created during B.C.'s electoral redistribution plan, which aimed to increase seats in the B.C. legislature from 87 to 93.

Running for the NDP in this reconfigured riding is Krystal Smith, the Conservative candidate is Macklin McCall, and Stephen Johnston is running as an independent. The BC NDP have never won in the riding.

This story will be updated with live results as they come in.

Candidates

Stephen Johnston

Johnston is a city councillor for West Kelowna and said that he's a "local through-and-through" who understands "the heartbeat of the community, the issues at hand.”

Running as an independent, he said the issues he is focused on are housing and health care.

“You drive down the highway and you’ll see walk-in clinics have a lineup before they open every day," Johnston said.

"Our Urgent and Primary Care Centre, we’re happy to have it, but we need it to be staffed more with more robust hours."

Johnston said improvements to Highway 97 are crucial, pointing specifically to interchanges at Boucherie and Westlake roads, the Westbank Centre couplet and the dangerous intersection at Trepanier in Peachland.

Macklin McCall

McCall is a former RCMP officer with 19 years of service, and said he has experience in addressing mental health challenges, particularly in a Police and Crisis Team role.

He said his experience has highlighted the urgent need for effective solutions in B.C.and his dedication to conservative values and community welfare is resolute.

Krystal Smith

Smith is a longtime BC NDP party worker who got involved in the party when she was in Grade 10.

“A lot of my career has either been working for different elected officials like the Mayor of Vancouver at one point, MPs, MLAs and working on civic campaigns," she said.

"I’ve also done some campaigns in government relations work for student unions."