Eligible voters in Nanaimo can now head to the polls as advanced voting has commenced, as of Tuesday, for a by-election that could bring major changes to the makeup of the provincial government.
After NDP MLA Leonard Krog vacated his seat to assume a new role as Mayor of Nanaimo last fall, members of the Opposition Liberal party and the incumbent New Democrats have been campaigning to assume control of the position.
A victory for the BC Liberals would give the party 43 seats, tying them with the number of seats held by the current NDP-Green party coalition government in Victoria. A tie could then trigger another provincial election.
Six candidates are running for the position:
- Tony Harris, Liberal Party
- Michelle Ney, Green Party
- Sheila Malcolmson, New Democratic Party
- Justin Greenwood, Conservative Party
- Bill Walker, Libertarian
- Robin Richardson, Vancouver Island Party
A recent poll conducted by Mainstreet Research shows that it will be a close race, as Sheila Malcolmson of the NDP currently has 39.8% of voter support, while Tony Harris of the BC Liberals has 38.2% as of Monday.
The NDP, Liberals, and Green Party candidates all faced off in a debate at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre on Monday. All six candidates will be attending another debate on Thursday at the Beban Park Community Centre.
Advanced polls in Nanaimo are open until Wednesday, January 30th and General Voting Day is on Wednesday, January 30th.
Click here for a full list of places where you can go to vote in Nanaimo. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.
All Candidates Meeting
- When: Thursday, January 24th, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Where: Beban Park Community Centre, 2300 Bowen Rd
