The final report on the Coquitlam-Burke Mountain byelection was tabled in the Legislature this week by B.C.'s chief electoral officer.
On Wednesday, Keith Archer officially handed in his document, which details the results of the Feb. 2 byelection — plus voting areas, financing and expenses — in the ridings of Coquitlam-Burke Mountain and Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.
Voter turnout in Coquitlam was 21.55% and cost Elections BC $549,000 to administer from the central and district electoral offices. Among the charges:
• $95,606 in salaries and benefits;
• $123,395 in election official fees;
• $14,238 in travel;
• $56,464 in office expenses;
• and $106,562 in marketing materials.
The total cost per registered voter amounted to $14.32 compared with $14.15 in Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, which had a 23.17% turnout and cost taxpayers $574,082 to replace MLA Jenny Kwan.
The byelections were the first elections following changes to the Election Act last year, and meant in two more days of advance voting. They were also seen as test grounds for the May 2017 provincial contest.
As for campaign funding, which was reported last month in The Tri-City News, the NDP's Jodie Wickens spent $110,327 to win the seat vacated by former MLA Doug Horne (who ran unsuccessfully for a federal seat last October); Wickens took in $113,637 in party transfers.
BC Liberal candidate Joan Isaacs, who has been nominated to run in next year's general election, spent $100,163 of which $99,776 came in from party transfers.
The Greens' Joe Keithley spent $22,954 with $8,106 from the party while Libertarian Paul Geddes had no income or outflow.
