Williams takes early lead

UPDATE: 8:21 p.m.

Early results for the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding are showing BC Conservative candidate David Williams taking the lead.

About 20 minutes after polls closed, early results show Williams with 5,149 votes, well ahead of BC NDP’s Sylvia Lindgren, who has received 2,385 votes.

Sixteen out of 28 final voting day ballot boxes have reported results, with a total of 9,201 ballots counted.

UPDATE: 7:48 p.m.

Salmon Arm-Shuswap Independent candidate Greg McCune said he believes the high voter turnout seen so far this election shows British Columbians are ready to make a change.

Data from Elections BC shows a little more than one million votes were cast province-wide during six days of advance polls — working out to 28.2 per cent of eligible voters across the province.

In the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding, Elections BC reported a total of 14,189 people cast their ballots during advance voting days.

“People, you know, they want a change for sure,” McCune said, adding in just a short amount of time, residents will find out what that change is.

“They're definitely coming out to vote — and that is so important. ...Just that one fact alone actually makes me pretty excited and pretty happy.”

McCune said his campaign team will be meeting in the home of one of their members to enjoy dinner together and watch the results come in.

“And then we'll see what happens,” he added.

McCune said if he is elected, he plans to head into Salmon Arm and “see what's going on and just try to enjoy the evening.”

Voting stations for the 2024 B.C. provincial election close at 8 p.m.

UPDATE: 6:58 p.m.

BC NDP candidate Sylvia Lindgren says she’s trying to keep her emotions in check with just an hour to go until polls close in the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding.

“I don't want to set myself up for feeling the wrong feelings, so just trying to stay neutral right now,” Lindgren said. “Get too excited, and it's a long way to drop if you don't get it.”

Lindgren has some experience with election night jitters, having run unsuccessfully for the NDP in the 2020 provincial election. She is also a councillor for the City of Salmon Arm.

She said she will gather with her team and supporters at their campaign office on Shuswap Street in Salmon Arm.

“We're going to hang out here and have some music and watch the polls come in,” she said.

Lindgren said she cast her ballot on the first day advanced polling was open.

Jed Wiebe, BC Green Party candidate, said he went to cast his vote earlier in the day on Saturday.

“I saved it for today,” he told Castanet. “I thought it would be more fun to do it on the big day.”

Wiebe said he will gather with members of his campaign team at one of their houses to watch for election results.

He added the BC Greens have ran a candidate in this riding for every election since 1992 and the party has seen growing support in almost every election.

“Sort of like a steady, slow growth,” he explained. “Hopefully this time it will be a rapid bump, that's what I'm excited to find out.”

ORIGINAL: 5:53 p.m.

Salmon Arm-Shuswap candidates say emotions are running high as they prepare to gather with supporters and watch provincial election results come in later Saturday night.

“I don't know if the word is nervous, but there's a kind of excitement that I can't hide,” said Jed Wiebe, BC Green Party candidate.

By the end of the day, votes will be tallied to find out which candidate will represent the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding in Victoria, and which party will form the next B.C. government.

There are five candidates vying to be the next MLA in Salmon Arm-Shuswap.

These include Wiebe, the BC NDP's Sylvia Lindgren, Independent Greg McCune, Independent Sherry Roy, and the BC Conservative party’s David Williams.

Williams said a prolonged campaign that began with an introductory barbecue over the August long weekend has taken its toll.

“I feel exhausted,” Williams laughed. “But other than that, fine.”

Williams said he would be gathering with his team and supporters at the Royal Canadian Legion in Salmon Arm to watch the election results come in.

He said he was one of the many British Columbians who cast their ballots during advanced voting.

“We knew we would have no time today,” he added.

Elections BC reported a total of 14,189 people in the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding voted during one of the six advance voting days earlier in October.

Voting stations for the 2024 B.C. provincial election are open until 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Click here to find addresses for the 25 available polling stations in the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding.