Elections BC Finalizes 355 Candidates for Provincial Snap Election

Elections BC finalized the candidate list for the 2026 provincial snap election on October 3, confirming 355 individuals will compete across 93 ridings. This total includes 340 candidates representing ten political parties and 15 running as independent or unaffiliated, marking an increase from the 322 candidates who ran in the 2024 election.

The British Columbia Conservatives is the only party fielding a full slate of 93 candidates. The BC NDP, led by David Eby who called the election on September 22, is running 92 candidates. The party lacks a representative in Peace River North; Campaign Director Cheryl Oates attributed this gap to incomplete paperwork for the final candidate.

Other participating parties include the B.C. Green Party with 73 candidates, Centre BC with 35, and the OneBC Party with 33. Advance voting is scheduled to run from October 16 to October 21, leading up to the final voting day on Saturday, October 24.