Nineteen elected delegates from the B.C. Liberal Columbia River – Revelstoke Riding joined thirteen hundred delegates from the other 84 BC Liberal ridings in endorsing a new set of rules that will ultimately shape the outcome of the leadership election on February 26; only 23 convention delegates voted against the constitutional amendment. The vote abandoned the old one-member, one-vote systems implementing a system that will give equal voice to all 85 ridings no matter the size of their population. Under the new system, votes from party members in all of the 85 ridings will be weighed in such a manner that each constituency will have the same influence, alloting each riding 100 points to be counted in the leadership vote whether a riding has thousands of members or a handful. George Abbott, the leadership candidate who is being supported by the CRR executive, stated that “this is a great day for our party, our members and the province. This new voting system will ensure that every riding has a voice in the direction of our party, starting with electing our new leaders”.

Doug Clovechok, President of the CRR, stated that “this new process demonstrates how serious the BC Liberal Party is in implementing internal changes that guarantee the inclusion of all members. The new system clearly recognizes the importance of members in rural B.C. enabling us to have an equal say in the shaping of this province’s future. This is a powerful step in the right direction for all British Columbians,”.

Convention delegates also approved a preferential ballot for the leadership vote on February 26 where voting members will need to rank a minimum of two candidates on their ballots.