While Abbotsford’s seats in the legislature were expected to go to the BC Liberals, if student’s voted, two of the three local ridings would be held by the NDP.
Thousands of students in Abbotsford cast ballot over the last week, and in all of the city’s three ridings, the Greens, NDP and Liberals all pulled in similarly large shares of the vote.
Finance Minister Mike de Jong was the lone BC Liberal to claim the student vote. With 851 ballots cast in his favour, de Jong edged the NDP’s Preet Rai by just six votes. The Green’s Kevin Eastwood finished a respectable third, with just under 20 per cent of the vote.
The two other local ridings were just as tight.
The NDP’s Jasleen Arora won the student vote in Abbotsford South, with 545 ballots, or 35 per cent. Aird Flavelle of the Green Party garnered 28 per cent of votes, with Darryl Plecas claiming 27 per cent of the student vote.
In Abbotsford-Mission, the NDP’s Andrew Christie garnered 606 votes, or 33 per cent of the student vote. The Green’s Jennifer Holmes picked up 31 per cent of the ballots, with Simon Gibson of the BC Liberals tallying 30 per cent of the vote.
Provincewide, the NDP claimed 39 per cent of the student vote, representing 60 seats. The Green Party garnered 28.5 per cent, and was “elected” in 14 ridings. And the BC Liberals were the party of choice in 12 ridings, with 25.4 per cent of the student vote across British Columbia.
The NDP garnered more student support than four years ago, when it claimed the most votes in 54 ridings. Students opted for Simon Gibson in Abbotsford-Mission, NDP candidate Sukhi Dhami in Abbotsford West, and independent John van Dongen.