Absentee ballots narrow gap between B.C. Liberals and NDP in popular vote

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      The provincewide vote in the last election was nearly a dead heat between the B.C. Liberals and the NDP.

      As of 10 a.m. today, the B.C. Liberals have 40.36 percent of the votes, compared to 40.27 percent for the NDP.

      The difference is just 1,723 votes of the 1.97 million ballots counted so far.

      On May 10, the preliminary count showed the B.C. Liberals with a wider 0.98 percent lead in the popular vote. However, absentee ballots appear to be skewing toward the NDP.

      Elections B.C. is expected to complete counting absentee votes later today.

      The B.C. Greens are now at 16.84 percent of the popular vote.

      In 2013, the B.C. Liberals won 44.14 percent of the popular vote whereas the NDP had 39.71 percent. The B.C. Greens lagged far back at 8.13 percent that year.

      As things stand now, the B.C. Liberals have won or are leading in 43 constituencies. The NDP has won or is leading in 41. The B.C. Greens will have three seats in the 87-seat legislature.

      There's still a chance of a judicial recount in Coquitlam–Burke Mountain, where B.C. Liberal Joan Isaacs defeated the NDP's Jodie Wickens by 87 votes.

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