Ballot counts in Maple Ridge East could see a different winner emerge, a week after the election.
Incumbent NDP MLA Bob D'Eith still has a chance of winning.
Initial numbers released on election night showed a 327 vote difference between D'Eith and newcomer Lawrence Mok of the Conservatives.
The night ended looking like Mok had won the Maple Ridge East riding, which extends east from 224th Street and into Mission's Silverdale and Stave Falls neighbourhoods.
With numbers released early Friday evening, however, that outcome could be in question.
Elections BC released the number of pending votes – absentee and mail-in ballots – still to be counted this weekend across the province.
In a breakdown provided by Elections BC, it said there are still 817 ballots to be tabulated in the Maple Ridge East riding – more than enough to change the local election outcome.
If D'Eith can garner enough votes from those yet to be counted votes – those being tallied between Saturday and Monday, Oct. 26 and 28 – he could possibly regain his seat and join his fellow NDP comrade Lisa Beare, from the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows riding, for another term.
In the westerly Maple Ridge riding, there was a difference of 2,403 votes between Beare and her competitor, Conservative hopeful Mike Morden.
According to Elections BC there are only 637 ballots still to be counted in that riding this weekend, no where near enough to change the outcome for that riding.
Earlier this week, Elections BC rejected a recount request from D'Eith.
The two-term incumbent lost the riding to Mok based on the preliminary election night count of 11,796 votes to 11,469.
The margin of 327 votes is close, but not close enough to warrant a recount, Elections B.C. decided.
D'Eith said his party made the request because there were anomalies on election day. A recount is automatic where the margin of victory is 100 votes or less, and recounts are conducted by hand.
Both Mok and D'Eith have reserved their comments on the election until the official results are known.
