If you aren’t a keen follower of British Columbia provincial politics, you may have come across an article mentioning an upcoming provincial election at the end of October. Maybe it was this one. And you probably thought to yourself:
“Weird. I could have sworn we just had an election, like, two years ago.”
And you would be correct.
With BC NDP Leader and Premier David Eby calling a snap election—nearly two years in advance of the date set by the general election cycle—many British Columbians are being told to return to the polls without a clear understanding of exactly why.
According to the conventional four-year cycle, the next provincial election in BC should be held in 2028. Snap elections are elections called outside of the general election cycle. Yes, they are 100% legal in British Columbia, and yes, they are incredibly controversial. They have become more popular in recent years for Premiers who are polling favourably to pick up more seats in the legislature while they experience surges in popularity.
So why the election? As usual with politics, the answer varies based on who you ask. To say that provincial politics in British Columbia have experienced some changes in the two years since the previous election would be an understatement. Since 2024, two new parties have splintered off from the Conservative Party of BC, OneBC and CentreBC; Emily Lowan has taken control of the BC Greens, becoming the first ever person born in the 2000s to lead a major Canadian political party; and the B.C. Conservatives appointed the highly controversial Kerry-Lynne Findlay as their new leader (Findlay has since stepped down amidst public and party backlash). While this is all breaking news, there’s also a clear pattern: the Conservative Party of BC has experienced numerous crises, and is far from the picture of stability as of writing this article.
Eby’s official statement on the snap election is an appeal for a fresh mandate against Trump’s tariffs. This is not a bad thing; with grocery prices soaring and tensions rising with our neighbours to the south, it’s critical to stay on top of the ever-changing political landscape. But did David Eby see the threat posed by Trump, his tariffs, and the proliferation of MAGA-style politics in British Columbia and feel called to protect his province from the threat? Or did the BC NDP see a struggling B.C. Conservative Party and realize that it would be in their best interest to capitalize on the chaos currently wracking the Conservatives, ensuring the BC NDP stays in power?
The truth: probably a mix of both. But either way, the optics for Eby on this are, shall we say, not ideal. Nothing screams political opportunism like kicking your main opposition when they’re already down. This political opportunism was notably criticized by Lowan, who called out Eby for his “brazen attempt to hold onto power.” This is not to say the Conservative Party of BC holds the moral high ground, either: numerous Conservative MLAs have been repeatedly accused of residential school denialism and supporting anti-abortion groups. And, while Findlay has since stepped down as leader of the party, the mere entertainment of her tumultuous past and far-right politics represents a shift towards populist right-wing extremism within the Conservative Party of BC.
With both of British Columbia’s most powerful political parties showing their worst sides, it can be hard to feel enthusiasm, let alone optimism, going into this election. And, while sticking your head in the sand and doomscrolling on Instagram reels until the pain goes away is appealing, a public that does not vote is a public that says they are okay with the government doing anything. And politically, anything can get very dangerous, very fast. Wherever you fall on the political spectrum, go out and tell the powers that be exactly what matters to you. Advance voting will be open from Oct. 16-21, with the official election day falling on Oct. 24.
Get out, vote, and make your voice heard.