Elections BC looks at Conservative complaint of improper voting at recovery facility

British Columbia's election agency is reviewing a complaint of irregularities in a riding where a narrow NDP victory in last October's election gave the party a one-seat majority, with Conservative Leader John Rustad highlighting allegations related to improper mail-in voting at an addiction recovery facility.

Rustad told a news conference that other alleged irregularities included voting by non-citizens and non-residents of specific ridings, and he wanted assurances for B.C. voters that "it's only Canadian citizens who are voting."'

He said his party wanted an independent review of the 2024 election process, a designation of Canadian citizenship on B.C.-issued identification, and a 90-day grace period suspending Election Act penalties to encourage people to come forward with possible irregularities.

Honveer Singh Randhawa, the Surrey-Guildford candidate who filed the complaint with Elections BC, said Thursday that he planned to follow it by petitioning the B.C. Supreme Court to invalidate the result in the riding, where he lost by 22 votes to the NDP's Garry Begg.

However, Rustad said the party was not taking part in the legal action.

"David Eby’s path to a majority in the legislature runs through the very sketchy mail-in ballot operation conducted at Argyll Lodge in Surrey-Guildford," Randhawa said in a news release, referring to an addiction recovery facility in the riding.

Rustad called allegations about mail-in voting from Argyll Lodge "one of the more serious issues" his party is probing.

Elections BC says Randhawa's complaint filed last Friday is "under review."

Documents provided by the B.C. Conservatives include redacted statutory declarations by people who said they resided in Argyll Lodge.

Randhawa launched his complaint with B.C.'s chief electoral officer saying volunteers from his campaign met two people staying at the lodge who indicated they were unaware there was a provincial election, but they were told by a staff member at the facility to mark a cross on a mail-in ballot.

The residents said they were rushed into marking the ballot and didn't know who they voted for, but felt like they had no choice, the complaint says.

A statement issued by the Conservative caucus says the manager of the lodge has the same name as a person who donated to the B.C. NDP in 2023.

Begg was declared the winner in Surrey-Guildford after a judicial recount conducted by hand, giving Premier David Eby's government a bare majority in the 93-seat legislature.

Confirmation of Begg's victory came nearly three weeks after election night, when no majority could be declared.

The final results gave the NDP 47 seats, while the B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats, and the Greens two.

In addition to calling for an independent review of the election, Rustad said the B.C. Conservatives are recommending that photo identification cards issued by the province include a "C" marking for Canadian citizens.

"So that's your driver's licence, your B.C. ID, and that's a way for Elections BC to make sure that people who vote are Canadian citizens (and) make sure to protect the integrity of the electoral process in British Columbia," he said. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2025.