Why this byelection is different

Provincial elections in West Kelowna are much like the Oscars and the Super Bowl, they’re becoming an annual event.

The only difference is, most people look forward to the Oscars and the Super Bowl.

Premier John Horgan has just announced Wednesday, Feb. 14 as the byelection date in the riding of Kelowna-West.

The race, to date, features PhD student Shelley Cook (NDP); businessman Ben Stewart (Liberal); and engineer Robert Stupka (Green). Joining the race is Libertarian Kyle Geronazzo.

Stewart represented the riding in the past and Cook was a candidate last year. This is the first time the two are going head-to-head.

This will be the fourth election in the riding since May 2013. Campaign volunteers for all three parties must be exhausted.

This time, things are different. This is the first election in years that voters know, in advance, that the Liberals won’t be forming government. Even though the election was a photo finish in B.C., resulting in weeks of uncertainty, whatever party wins in Kelowna-West on Valentine’s Day won’t swing the balance of power.

This is clearly an advantage to the NDP.

The Greens also defied all predictions in 2017 by winning three seats in the Legislature and they now hold the balance of power in a minority government. The old adage of a Green vote is a wasted vote is ancient history.

Stewart and the Liberals have tradition on their side. Not only is the Westside a strong BC Liberal riding, Stewart scored 58 per cent of the vote when he last ran for office. The Liberals are also in the news right now, and in a positive light, with the leadership race.

Byelections are different from regular elections for many reasons.

Voter turnout is traditionally lower, which means upsets are more of a possibility.

Party leaders are available to make frequent visits to the riding because their time is not divided among the 80 other ridings in the province.

Byelections are often a report card for the governing party. This time around there’s no incumbent because Christy Clark, the former premier, is not running. In Victoria, the NDP have been in power for a relatively short period of time.

Like the Super Bowl, expect to see lots of advertising over the next 27 days and, like the Oscars, things are going to be political.