Is Elections B.C. blocking critical evidence in alleged voter coercion case?

A former Conservative candidate slams Elections B.C. for stalling its investigation into alleged voter irregularities in Surrey-Guildford. If proven, it could cost the B.C. NDP its one-seat majority.

Former B.C. Conservative candidate Honveer Singh Randhawa is calling out Elections B.C. after the agency announced it would suspend its investigation into his complaint about alleged voter coercion at a Surrey-Guildford care home.

“It’s a joke if you think about it,” Randhawa told Rebel News in an interview following the decision. “It is putting the integrity of Elections B.C. into question. It is putting the integrity of the process into question.”

Last month, Randhawa and Conservative Party of B.C. leader John Rustad announced in a Victoria press release that Randhawa and his team had discovered 46 voting irregularities in the Surrey-Guildford riding irregularities they believe could delegitimize the NDP’s Garry Begg’s 21-vote win in last October’s election.

Most damning of the claims were allegations that multiple residents at Argyll Lodge a care home facility were coerced into casting ballots in the October provincial election without understanding the reason for doing so. Rebel News attempted to reach the care home for comment but did not hear back at publication.

Twenty-one votes by mail came from the lodge in question, a number so close to Randhawa’s 21-vote loss that he filed a legal petition seeking to have a judge toss the outcome and trigger a byelection where the candidates can face off once again.

Randhawa also filed an official complaint with Elections B.C. so they too could investigate the claims.

Despite initially initiating a review into the allegations, Elections B.C. has now decided to halt its inquiry, citing Randhawa’s ongoing court petition as a reason to pause its investigation. That also means any crucial findings that Randhawa could have garnered from the investigation will now be withheld.

“Having a judge and having a petition doesn’t mean that a judge handles a private inquiry,” he explained. “I have to do everything. So is it me, Honveer Randhawa, having to hold the election process to accountability? Is that really my job?”

In today’s report, Randhawa slams Elections B.C. for the decision, expressing frustration not just for himself but for the voters as well.

“If they found no merit in my complaint, if they found that everything was wrong, then they would have come out and said, ‘Hey look, nothing is wrong with all of this, everything is normal,’” he said.

Instead, he argues, Elections B.C.'s inaction forces him to seek alternative legal avenues. He has now retained legal counsel to explore ways to compel Elections B.C. to complete its investigation and release its findings to the public.

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Drea Humphrey, Rebel News B.C. Bureau Chief, is launching an independent investigation into the integrity of British Columbia's recent general election. With concerns about transparency and accountability mounting, Drea is determined to uncover the truth about potential irregularities and ensure voters' voices were heard. But she can't do it alone — she needs your support to cover her expenses, access critical documents, and produce in-depth reports that mainstream media won't touch. By contributing to this campaign, you are not only standing for democracy but also empowering independent journalism to hold the powerful accountable. If you value Drea's investigative reporting, please chip in a donation. (Thanks!)

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Drea Humphrey

B.C. Bureau Chief

Based in British Columbia, Drea Humphrey reports on Western Canada for Rebel News. Drea’s reporting is not afraid to challenge political correctness, or ask the tough questions that mainstream media tends to avoid.

COMMENTS

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-02-03 17:54:54 -0500
    This is just like the U.S. election in 2020. BC NDP folks pulled the same stunt.