The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District will be going to the Supreme Court to determine the results of a close race in the 2022 municipal election.
In electoral Area F (Cherry Creek), candidate Mike Sparrow won the race against his opponent, Darren DeLuca, by only four votes. Due to the close results—and “possible irregularities” with registration of voters on election day—the ACRD’s Chief Election Officer Wendy Thomson will be applying to the Supreme Court for a declaration regarding the validity of the results.
Sparrow will represent Cherry Creek on the ACRD board until a decision is made by the court.
“When the results of an election are this close, it’s not uncommon to request a court declaration regarding the results,” said ACRD CAO Daniel Sailland in a statement.
This isn’t the first time the ACRD has submitted a petition to the Supreme Court to have an election declared valid. In 2018, a review of votes after the election showed that 13 voters in Area B (Beaufort) had erroneously voted in Cherry Creek. Both areas ended up having a by-election after the Supreme Court declared the results invalid.
READ MORE: Two Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District elections declared invalid
Both the ACRD and City of Port Alberni declared their official election results on Wednesday, Oct. 19. No results have changed from the preliminary election results that were announced on Saturday night.
Cherry Creek had the highest estimated voter turnout of all electoral areas, with 24 percent of eligible voters casting ballots. Long Beach had the lowest estimated voter turnout, with only five percent of eligible voters casting ballots.