The District of Sooke is recounting all ballots from the 2026 municipal election Tuesday, with a five-vote gap separating the candidates currently in sixth and seventh place in the race for council. The decision follows a post-election review that identified two ballots requiring closer examination. With six council seats available, the outcome could affect who secures the final seat. The two ballots were among 65 cast through mail-in voting and a special voting opportunity at Ayre Manor. Election officials found that both voters had clearly marked their preferred candidates, but the circles beside their names were not filled in enough for the counting equipment to automatically register the selections. A manual review showed the apparent voter intent, prompting officials to take a closer look before confirming the results. The district says there is no evidence the tabulating equipment malfunctioned or made an error. The issue centres on how the two selections should be assessed, rather than a suspected technical problem. “Given the close margin for the final Councillor position and the ballot markings identified through our review, a full recount and manual inspection of the ballots is the appropriate step to verify the results and ensure all ballots are considered consistently,” Chief Election Officer Greg Lowis said, in a release. Candidates, representatives and scrutineers were invited to observe Tuesday’s recount, where election officials will inspect ballots by hand. The preliminary results will remain subject to review until the recount is complete and the official results are determined. The District of Sooke says updated results will be released once that process is finished.
