Votes are being counted across the Peace Region as residents await the results of the 2026 B.C. provincial election in two key ridings.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, with election officials now counting ballots to determine who will represent Peace River North and Peace River South in the B.C. legislature.
In Peace River North, Jordan Kealy is running as an Independent, while Curtis Whitford is representing the Conservative Party of BC.
In Peace River South, Marsha Rose Dufresne is running for the BC NDP, Larry Neufeld for the Conservative Party of BC and Helen Scott as an unaffiliated candidate.
Peace River North Update 8:40PM:
We’re seeing an early lead for Curtis Whitford in Peace River North tonight.
With 8 of 67 polls reporting, the Conservative incumbent has 4,634 votes, or 88.2 per cent.
Independent candidate Jordan Kealy has 619 votes, sitting at 11.8 per cent.
There’s still more counting to come, so we’ll keep you updated as the results roll in.
Update 9:07PM:
The Conservatives have taken an early lead in both Peace River ridings as votes continue to be counted in B.C.’s provincial election.
In Peace River North, the Conservatives have received 4,839 votes, compared with 647 for other candidates.
In Peace River South, the Conservatives lead with 457 votes, followed by the NDP with 113.
Only a small number of ballot boxes have been counted in both ridings, and results remain unofficial and unverified.
Update 9:08PM:
CTV and CBC decision desks have projected a majority Conservative government in B.C.’s provincial election.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives are leading in both Peace River ridings as votes continue to be counted.
In Peace River North, the Conservatives have received 4,839 votes, compared with 647 for other candidates.
In Peace River South, the Conservatives lead with 457 votes, followed by the NDP with 113.
Only a small number of ballot boxes have reported in both ridings, and local results remain unofficial and unverified.
Update 9:32PM:
The B.C. Conservatives are projected to form a majority government, with both CBC and CTV calling a Conservative victory.
The party is leading or has won in 64 ridings, well above the 47 seats needed for a majority. The NDP is at 27, while the Greens have two.
Locally, the Conservatives are also leading in both Peace River ridings. In Peace River North, they have 6,925 votes compared with 1,141 for other candidates. In Peace River South, they lead with 3,216 votes, followed by the NDP with 646.
It marks a major shift for the Conservatives, who won no seats in 2020 before becoming the official Opposition in 2024.
Counting continues, and local results remain unofficial and unverified.
Update 10:13PM:
The B.C. Conservatives have secured a majority government, with strong leads in both Peace River ridings.
In Peace River North, Conservative Curtis Whitford leads with more than 7,900 votes, or 83 per cent, ahead of Independent Jordan Kealy.
In Peace River South, Conservative Larry Neufeld leads with more than 4,100 votes, followed by the NDP’s Marsha Rose Dufresne with 848.
Meanwhile, David Eby has announced his resignation as premier and B.C. NDP leader, conceding the election to Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson.
As of 9:40 tonight, Conservatives were leading or elected in 62 ridings, compared with 29 for the NDP and two for the Greens.
Counting continues, with results still
Results will be updated as they become available.
