A former Conservative candidate has withdrawn his legal challenge of the 2024 provincial election results in the riding of Surrey-Guildford, more than 14 months after the vote took place.
The Close Race and Allegations
Honveer Singh Randhawa lost to NDP incumbent Garry Begg by a razor-thin margin of just 22 votes following a recount. In January, Randhawa launched a petition in B.C. Supreme Court based on claims of voting irregularities. He stated he had received three affidavits from residents of the Argyll Lodge care facility.
Those affidavits alleged that residents received mail-in ballots they had not requested. They further claimed a staff member rushed them through the voting process and suggested they should vote for the NDP candidate. Randhawa contended that 21 residents of the facility voted by mail despite a polling station being directly across the street at Guildford Park Secondary School.
The former candidate also made broader allegations, including that 22 ballots were cast by individuals living outside the riding and that one person voted twice under slightly different names. None of these claims were ever tested or proven in a court of law.
Reaction and Dispute Over Outcomes
Baljit Kandola, the manager of Argyll Lodge, previously called Randhawa's allegations "mind-blowing," "baffling," and "absurd." With the case now dropped, no formal finding of wrongdoing will be made against the care home.
In a statement on Tuesday, Randhawa's lawyer, Aanchal Grewal, argued the legal action had achieved a "material outcome." She stated that before the petition, Elections B.C. maintained no violations of the Election Act had occurred in Surrey-Guildford. However, after evidence was presented, she said the election body admitted violations did occur, including serious procedural failures regarding mail-in ballots at a care facility in the riding.
Elections B.C. promptly disputed this characterization. In its own statement, the independent office clarified that the court did not rule on whether any violations of the Elections Act took place in Surrey-Guildford, as the case was discontinued before a hearing.
Conclusion of a Protracted Dispute
The withdrawal of the petition brings a quiet end to a political and legal dispute that extended well over a year after the October 2024 provincial election. The final result in Surrey-Guildford, with Garry Begg's narrow victory, stands unchallenged. The episode highlighted the intense scrutiny that follows extremely close electoral contests and the procedures surrounding mail-in voting, particularly in assisted living facilities.
