Voters head to the polls for byelection battle in Vancouver-Quilchena

Voters in the riding of Vancouver-Quilchena on the city's west side will be going to the polls to choose their new MLA today.

The list of candidates includes B.C. Liberal leader Kevin Falcon; political science professor Jeanette Ashe, who is running for the NDP; emergency management expert Wendy Hayko for the B.C. Greens; lawyer Dallas Brodie for the B.C. Conservative Party, and businessperson Sandra Filosof-Schipper who is running for the Libertarian Party.

The riding's past MLAs include former Premier Gordon Campbell and cabinet minister Colin Hansen, who both ran for the B.C. Liberals.

Wilkinson formally stepped down as MLA on Feb. 17 after Falcon, who is not a sitting MLA and had previously been involved in the private sector, was chosen as the new leader of the B.C. Liberals.

Polls in Vancouver-Quilchena open today at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Advance voting began on April 22. Results are expected to come swiftly after the voting period ends.

Elections B.C. says it is the first provincial byelection to use new technology, including electronic voting books and tabulators to cross voters off the voters list, and allow for results to be reported faster.

However, the winner will likely start their new job as MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena after May 9, once results are finalized and made official.

After this byelection, the B.C. government is expected to call another vote for the riding of Surrey South to fill the seat left vacant by Stephanie Cadieux, who will be moving on to a position with the federal government as Canada's first chief accessibility officer.

Political scientist Hamish Telford with the University of the Fraser Valley said he expects the Surrey South byelection, which is to be called within a six-month window, to be a more exciting race than Vancouver-Quilchena, with a showdown potentially this summer or early fall.

"There are other byelections coming up which could be more competitive and perhaps pick-ups for the NDP," said Telford.

Telford said byelection contests are generally one-offs with low voter turnout, but in some cases can be indicative of a political shift.

In the last election, he explained, the B.C. NDP picked up MLA seats in more urban ridings in the Metro Vancouver area to gain a majority government — so the riding of Surrey South may be a tantalizing prospect.

He said if the B.C. Liberals hold onto their seat in the Surrey South byelection, it could help Falcon and his party gain some momentum.