BC Conservatives present Green Party affidavit as fresh evidence of election ‘irregularities’
BC Conservative Leader John Rustad claims the party has uncovered new evidence of “election irregularities” that occurred in the Surrey-Guildford riding during the last provincial election.
In the October provincial election, the BC NDP narrowly won the riding by only 22 votes, resulting in the party securing a majority government by a single seat. The Conservative candidate for the riding, Honveer Singh Randhawa, had previously raised concerns about voting issues in the area.
During a press conference on Feb. 27, Rustad presented new evidence, focusing on an affidavit from a Green Party candidate regarding voting practices at Argyll Lodge, a residential care center that the Tories claim was a hub for irregular voting activity.
January
, the BC Conservatives disclosed that 21 mail-in votes originated from Argyll Lodge, a licensed care facility for adults with chronic mental illness and substance use disorders. They also highlighted instances where residents were coached on how to complete their mail-in ballots and some residents claimed they were unaware of the election.
Rustad revealed that the Green Party candidate, Manjeet Singh Sahota, had visited Argyll Lodge during his campaign and was informed that the residents, who were elderly and allegedly unable to vote, were turned away.
“There have been significant irregularities in this election,” Rustad remarked.
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“It angers me to think that our vulnerable citizens, especially our seniors, may have been exploited in the electoral process in British Columbia. This is deeply troubling,” he added.
Argyll Lodge did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment. Baljit Kandola, the facility’s manager, had refuted the allegations in a statement to Global News.
The Conservatives allege additional irregularities in the Surrey-Guildford riding, including 22 individuals who voted in Surrey-Guildford without residence in the area, making them ineligible to vote. They also cite an instance where one voter cast two ballots under slightly different names.
BC Conservatives had urged Elections BC in early January to probe potential violations of the Election Act in the riding. The investigation was underway but was later halted due to a petition at the Supreme Court of British Columbia filed by Randhawa. Elections BC indicated a review of the complaint would resume post a judicial ruling on the petition.
The Epoch Times reached out to Elections BC for comment on Rustad’s information but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Rustad questioned the decision of BC Elections to forego an investigation into the allegations and is advocating for an “independent review” by a neutral party.
“We will persist in our efforts on this matter as it holds great significance for the democracy of British Columbia,” he affirmed.
