On Saturday night the vacant seat in Victoria’s city council will be filled following the byelection.
CHEK News will bring you the results starting at 8 p.m. live on our Facebook page and website.
UPDATED AT 9:30 P.M.:
Stephen Andrew has won Victoria’s byelection, taking a seat previously held by Together Victoria.
As of 9:30 p.m. Andrew had 6,129 votes.
He beats Together Victoria candidate Stefanie Hardman, who has 3,435 votes.
The seat was previously held by Together Victoria’s Laurel Collins , who was eventually elected as an NDP MP in 2019, leaving the seat open.
Andrew has been largely in opposition to Together Victoria, he ran on promises such as banning 24/7 camping, along with a focus on public safety and overall spending. More details can be found here.
Some experts say he was at a slight disadvantage to Hardman.
PREVIOUS UPDATE:
Results are expected to come in at 8:20 p.m.
Some voters reported waiting 15-minutes or longer at polling stations such as Sir James Douglas Elementary. The city of Victoria says election results will be released starting at 8 p.m., information about turnout will also be available.
Former Victoria councillor Laurel Collins was elected as an NDP MP in 2019, leaving her seat open. She was previously elected as part of the political organization Together Victoria’s slate.
There are currently seven councilors and the mayor serving. Some motions have hit deadlocks, but Together Victoria has councillors Sarah Potts and Sharmarke Dubow in council.
Councillors Ben Isitt along and Jeremy Loveday largely vote alongside them.
Experts say the council’s position has shifted to the left side of the political spectrum. Whoever is chosen could set the direction for council over the next two years.
“We don’t have a formal referendum question but we have an implicit one, and that is the direction of this council as we proceed from this pandemic year this plague year, where the city goes during the recovery phase that is to follow,” said David Black of Royal Roads University.
“The odds are in the favor of Stephanie Hartman, I mean you look at the success of Together Victoria electing three others.”
Together Victoria says they are seeking to “build an affordable, inclusive, and thriving city.”
More details can be found here.
Stephen Andrew is the other frontrunner. Largely in opposition to Together Victoria, he is running on promises such as banning 24/7 camping, along with a focus on public safety and overall spending. More details can be found here.
Black says Roshan Vickery is also a strong contender, he is a big supporter of arts and culture.
But with the pandemic, there are concerns around turnout.
“In the last byelection 10 years ago, we had roughly 25 per cent,” said Black.
“Now we now have COVID. As we saw in the provincial election we saw a loss of about five to six points.”
More details on voting day can be found here.
Julian Kolsut
