BC NDP maintains lead while BC United slides to 4th place, new poll finds

The race between the BC NDP and BC Conservatives has tightened, while the official Opposition BC United has fallen to fourth place ahead of B.C.’s provincial election, according to a new poll.

The survey from Vancouver-based Research Co. found the governing NDP still in first place with the support of 40 per cent of decided voters, down two percentage points from May.

2:03 Poll shows BC NDP maintaining lead

The BC Conservatives climbed one point to 33 per cent, while the BC Greens climbed three points to 15 per cent. BC United slid to fourth place among decided voters, with 11 per cent support, down one percentage point from May.

The poll also found each party with some room to grow their support.

Fifty-four per cent of respondents (down one point from May) said they would consider voting for the NDP, compared with 46 per cent for the Conservatives (up four points from May).

Thirty-eight per cent (up three points) said they’d consider the BC Greens, as did 34 per cent (up one point) for BC United.

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The poll found the BC NDP’s strengths in Metro Vancouver (41 per cent), Vancouver Island (43 per cent) and southern B.C. (44 per cent).

It found the BC Conservatives leading in the Fraser Valley (40 per cent) and northern B.C. (53 per cent).

Premier David Eby continues to hold a significant edge in favourability, with an approval rating of 53 per cent.

That’s compared with 40 per cent for Conservative Leader John Rustad, 39 per cent for BC Green Leader Sonia Furstenau and 32 per cent for BC United Leader Kevin Falcon.

On the question of who would make the best premier, 28 per cent chose Eby, 14 per cent chose Rustad, 13 per cent chose Falcon and 11 per cent chose Furstenau.

Respondents listed housing, homelessness and poverty as the top issue facing B.C. (40 per cent). Health care was the second most pressing issue (20 per cent), followed by jobs and the economy (17 per cent), crime and public safety (eight per cent) and the environment (five per cent).

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Eby was seen as the candidate best able to manage health care; education; the economy and jobs; child care; housing, homelessness and poverty; accountability; transportation; finances; crime and public safety; energy and senior care.

Eby and Furstenau were tied as best able to manage the environment.

Rustad did not lead in any categories but posted his best numbers for crime and public safety (18 per cent) and the economy and jobs (17 per cent).

The B.C. provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 19.

The poll was conducted online among 800 adult British Columbians between June 17 and June 19, 2024, with results weighted according to census data. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is +/- 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.