1916 British Columbia general election
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47 seats of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia 24 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1916 British Columbia general election was the fourteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 5, 1916, and held on September 14, 1916. The new legislature met for the first time on March 1, 1917.
The Liberal Party defeated the governing Conservative Party, winning 50% of the vote, almost double its share from the previous election. The Liberals won 36 of the 47 seats in the legislature.
The Conservatives' popular vote fell from almost 60% to just over 40%, and took nine seats, forming the Official Opposition.
Two other seats were won by independents.
Unlike in the previous BC general election, in 1916 of the 47 MLAs 37 were elected in single member districts. There were also one 4-member district and one 6-member district. Each voter could cast as many votes as there were seats to fill in the district.[1]
Results[]
Party | Party leader | # of candidates |
Seats | Popular vote | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1912 | Elected | % Change | # | % | % Change | ||||
Liberal 1 | Harlan Carey Brewster | 45 | - | 36 | 89,892 | 50.00% | +24.63% | ||
Conservative ² | William John Bowser | 46 | 39 | 9 | -76.9% | 72,842 | 40.52% | -19.13% | |
Independent | 7 | - | 1 | - | 4,926 | 2.74% | +0.95% | ||
Independent Socialist | 3 | * | 1 | * | 1,321 | 0.74% | * | ||
Independent Conservative | 4 | 1 | - | -100% | 3,014 | 1.68% | +0.31% | ||
Independent Labour | 2 | * | - | * | 2,985 | 1.66% | * | ||
Socialist | 4 | 1 | - | -100% | 2,106 | 1.17% | -9.91% | ||
Independent Liberal | 1 | * | - | * | 1,518 | 0.84% | * | ||
Social Democratic | 3 | 1 | - | -100% | 1,012 | 0.56% | -0.18% | ||
Independent Progressive | 1 | * | - | * | 158 | 0.09% | * | ||
Total | 116 | 42 | 47 | +11.9% | 179,774 | 100% | |||
Sources: Elections BC |
Notes:
* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.
1 One candidate, H.C. Brewster (Liberal) who contested and was elected in both Alberni and Victoria City, is counted twice.
² Also included as a candidate is R. McBride (Conservative, Richmond) who withdrew before the 14 September polling day but received some overseas votes.
Results by riding[]
See also[]
- List of British Columbia political parties
Notes[]
- ^ a b Brewster was elected as member for both Alberni and Victoria City, and is counted twice.
- ^ One Conservative candidate withdrew before the election but still received 34 overseas votes, which are counted.
Further reading & references[]
- In the Sea of Sterile Mountains: The Chinese in British Columbia, Joseph Morton, J.J. Douglas, Vancouver (1974). Despite its title, a fairly thorough account of the politicians and electoral politics in early BC.
- Hopkins, J. Castell (1917). The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs, 1916. Toronto: The Annual Review Publishing Company.
- Elections in British Columbia
- 1916 elections in Canada
- 1916 in British Columbia
- September 1916 events