1920 British Columbia general election

250px|thumb|The legislature of British Columbia in session, 1921

The 1920 British Columbia general election was the fifteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on October 23, 1920, and held on December 1, 1920. The new legislature met for the first time on February 8, 1921.

Although it lost eleven seats in the legislature, and fell from 50% of the popular vote to under 38%, the governing Liberal Party was able to hold on to a slim majority in the legislature for its second consecutive term in government.

The Conservative Party also lost a significant share of its popular vote, but won six additional seats for a total of fifteen, and formed the Official Opposition.

Almost a third of the vote and seven seats were won by independents and by a wide variety of fringe parties.

This was the first general election in which women could vote and run for office.

Results

! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party

! rowspan=2 | Party leader

! colspan=4 | MLAs

! colspan=4 | Votes

! Candidates

!1916

!1920

!±

! ±

! ± (pp)

|style="text-align:left;" |John Oliver

|45 ||36 ||26 ||10 ||134,167 ||44,275 ||37.89 || 12.11

|style="text-align:left;" |William Bowser

|42 ||9 ||14 ||5 ||110,475 ||37,633 ||31.20 ||9.32

|18 ||1 ||3 ||2 ||36,736 ||31,810 ||10.37 ||7.63

|14 ||– ||3 ||3 ||32,230 ||32,230 ||9.10 ||

|style="text-align:left"| People's Party

|1 ||– ||1 ||1 ||1,354 ||1,354 ||0.38 ||

|1 ||1 ||– ||1 ||419 ||902 ||0.12 ||0.62

|7 ||– ||– || ||12,386 ||10,280 ||3.50 ||2.33

|11 ||– ||– ||– ||10,780 ||10,780 ||3.04 ||

|style="text-align:left"| Grand Army of United Veterans

|2 ||– ||– ||– ||5,441 ||5,441 ||1,54 ||

|3 ||– ||– || ||3,433 ||1,915 ||0.97 ||0.13

|2 ||– ||– ||– ||3,178 ||3,178 ||0.90 ||

|2 ||– ||– || ||1,602 ||1,412 ||0.45 ||1.23

|2 ||– ||– ||– ||907 ||907 ||0.26 ||

|3 ||– ||– ||– ||526 ||526 ||0.15 ||

|1 ||– ||– ||– ||424 ||424 ||0.12 ||

|1 ||– ||– || ||30 ||2,955 ||0.01 ||1.65

! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total

| 155

| 47

! colspan="2"| 47

! colspan="2"|354,088

! colspan="2"| 100.00%

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"

|+ Seats and popular vote by party

! Party !! Seats !! Votes !! colspan="3" | Change (pp)

| style="text-align:left;" |

| style="text-align:left;" |/GUAV

| style="text-align:left;" |

MLAs elected

Synopsis of results

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" style="text-align:right; font-size:85%"

|+ Results by riding - 1920 British Columbia general election (single-member districts)

! scope="col" | Riding

! scope="col" colspan="8" | Winning party

! scope="col" colspan="12" | Votes

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Name

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" scope="col" | 1916

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" scope="col" |Party

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Votes

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Share

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Margin<br>#

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Margin<br>%

! scope="col" | Lib

! scope="col" | Con

! scope="col" | FLP

! scope="col" |

! scope="col" | Soc

! scope="col" |

! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Total

! scope="col" style="background-color:#A51B12;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#294296;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#FFD700;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#72B490;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#66CC00;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|

!   !! colspan="2"| !! colspan="2"| !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!

|style="text-align:left"| Alberni

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#DCDCDC;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Ind

| 841 || 43.94% || 166 || 8.67% || 398 || – || – || – || – || 675 || – || – || – || style="background-color:#87CEFA;"|841 || – || 1,914

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Atlin

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 390 || 36.69% || 90 || 8.47% || 390 || 229 || 300 || – || – || – || – || – || – || style="background-color:#F0E68C;"|114 || 30 || 1,063

|style="text-align:left"| Cariboo

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 561 || 61.65% || 212 || 28.30% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|561 || 349 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – ||910

|style="text-align:left"| Chilliwhack

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 1,911 || 53.16% || 227 || 6.32% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,911 || 1,684 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 3,595

|style="text-align:left"| Columbia

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 584 || 60.58% || 204 || 21.16% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|584 || 380 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 964

|style="text-align:left"| Comox

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#EEBBBB;" | || style="text-align:left;" | PP

| 1,354 || 32.83% || 121 || 2.93% || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|806 || 1,233 || – || 1,354 || – || – || – || 731 || – || – || – || 4,124

|style="text-align:left"| Cowichan

| style="background-color:#DCDCDC;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Ind

| 1,145 || 52.60% || 113 || 5.20% || – || 1,032 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || style="background-color:#87CEFA;"|1,145 || – || 2,177

|style="text-align:left"| Cranbrook

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 941 || 50.98% || 36 || 1.96% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|941 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 905 || – || – || 1,846

|style="text-align:left"| Delta

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 1,334 || 37.50% || 218 || 6.13% || style="background-color:#FFFF00;"|1,334 || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|1,116 || – || – || – || 1,107 || – || – || – || – || – || 3,557

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Dewdney

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 1,535 || 45.45% || 166 || 4.91% || 1,369 || 1,535 || 473 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 3,377

|style="text-align:left"| Esquimalt

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 1,158 || 49.87% || 473 || 20.37% || 685 || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,158 || – || – || – || 479 || – || – || – || – || – || 2,322

|style="text-align:left"| Fernie

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#EEBBBB;" | || style="text-align:left;" | FLP

| 932 || 38.37% || 158 || 6.51% || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|723 || 774 || 932 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 2,429

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Fort George

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 1,140 || 55.18% || 353 || 17.09% || 1,140 || 787 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 139 || 2,066

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Grand Forks

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 390 || 50.39% || 6 || 0.78% || 390 || 384 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 774

|style="text-align:left"| Greenwood

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 392 || 49.06% || 100 || 12.51% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|392 || style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|292 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 115 || 799

|style="text-align:left"| The Islands

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 581 || 40.86% || 100 || 7.03% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|581 || 481 || – || – || – || 360 || – || – || – || – || – || 1,422

|style="text-align:left"| Kamloops

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 1,617 || 37.43% || 209 || 4.84% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,617 || 1,295 || – || – || – || – || 1,408 || – || – || – || – || 4,320

|style="text-align:left"| Kaslo

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 760 || 50.53% || 16 || 1.06% || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|744 || 760 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 1,504

|style="text-align:left"| Lillooet

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 339 || 47.48% || 126 || 17.65% || 213 || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|339 || – || – || – || 162 || – || – || – || – || – || 714

|style="text-align:left"| Nanaimo

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 1,370 || 41.19% || 199 || 5.98% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,370 || 785 || 1,171 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 3,326

|style="text-align:left"| Nelson

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 1,232 || 61.75% || 469 || 23.50% || 763 || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,232 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 1,995

|style="text-align:left"| Newcastle

| style="background-color:#DCDCDC;" | || style="text-align:left;" |

| style="background-color:#EEBBBB;" | || style="text-align:left;" | FLP

| 704 || 42.00% || 280 || 16.7% || – || – || 704 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || style="background-color:#F0E68C;"|972 || 1,676

|style="text-align:left"| New Westminster

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 1,980 || 43.07% || 369 || 8.03% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,980 || 1,006 || – || – || – || 1,611 || – || – || – || – || – || 4,597

|style="text-align:left"| North Okanagan

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 2,037 || 53.51% || 267 || 7.02% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|2,037 || – || – || – || – || – || 1,770 || – || – || – || – || 3,807

|style="text-align:left"| North Vancouver

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#DCDCDC;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Ind

| 2,681 || 54.68% || 1,501 || 30.61% || style="background-color:#B8BFFE;"|913 || 1,180 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || style="background-color:#F0E68C;"|2,810 || – || 4,903

|style="text-align:left"| Omineca

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 630 || 60.87% || 357 || 34.49% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|630 || 273 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || style="background-color:#F0E68C;"|132 || – || 1,035

|style="text-align:left"| Prince Rupert

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 1,501 || 43.70% || 804 || 23.41% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,501 || 561 || – || – || 676 || – || – || – || 697 || – || – || 3,435

|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"

|style="text-align:left"| Revelstoke

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

|colspan="16" style="text-align:center;" |acclaimed

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Richmond

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 2,863 || 37.89% || 151 || 2.00% || 2,712 || 2,863 || 1,499 || – || – || 272 || – || – || – || 210 || – || 7,556

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Rossland

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 257 || 38.02% || 18 || 2.66% || 180 || 257 || 239 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 676

|style="text-align:left"|Saanich

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| 1,858 || 39.78% || 102 || 2.19% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,858 || 1,756 || – || – || – || 1,057 || – || – || – || – || – || 4,671

|style="text-align:left"| Similkameen

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 1,354 || 51.72% || 90 || 3.44% || 1,264 || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,354 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 2,618

|style="text-align:left"| Slocan

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 568 || 41.55% || 97 || 7.09% || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|471 || style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|568 || 328 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 1,367

|style="text-align:left"| South Okanagan

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 1,882 || 56.77% || 449 || 13.54% || 1,433 || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,882 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 3,315

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| South Vancouver

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#EEBBBB;" | || style="text-align:left;" | FLP

| 3,255 || 37.75% || 811 || 9.41% || 1,969 || 2,444 || 3,255 || – || – || – || – || – || – || 955 || – || 8,623

|style="text-align:left"| Trail

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 1,315 || 60.80% || 467 || 21.60% || 848 || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,315 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 2,163

|style="text-align:left"| Yale

| style="background-color:#A51B12;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lib

| style="background-color:#294296;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Con

| 913 || 39.58% || 176 || 7.63% || 737 || 913 || – || – || – || – || – || style="background-color:#EABB94;"|657 || – || – || – || 2,307

: = open seat

: = winning candidate was in previous Legislature

: = incumbent had switched allegiance

: = previously incumbent in another riding

: = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature

: = incumbency arose from byelection gain

: = other incumbents renominated

: = candidate repudiated by local association

: = multiple candidates

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"

|+ Results by riding - 1920 British Columbia general election (multiple-member districts)

!rowspan="2" colspan="2" | Party !!colspan="3" | Vancouver City !!colspan="3" | Victoria City

! Votes !! Share !! Change || Votes !! Share !! Change

| 78,789 || 38.96% || -10.42% || 19,933 || 36.96% || -14.33%

| 60,570 || 29.95% || -10.85% ||17,688 || 32.79% || -4.11%

| 22,117 || 10.97% ||New ||1,212 || 2.25% ||New

| 16,121 || 7.97% || 5.02% || 4,485 || 8.32% || 4.46%

| 11,710 || 5.79% || 4.35% || – || – || -4.13%

|style="text-align:left"| Grand Army of United Veterans

| 5,441 || 2.69% ||New || – || – || –

| 4,166 || 2.06% ||New || – || – || –

| 3,291 || 1.63% ||New || – || – || –

| – || – || – ||5,329 || 9.88% ||New

| – || – || – ||2,466 || 4.57% ||New

| – || – || – || 2,045 || 3.79% || -1.14%

| – || – || – || 778 || 1.44% ||New

| – || – || -2.82% || – || – || –

| – || – || -2.60% || – || – || –

| – || – || – || – || – || -3.02%

!style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" |Total !! 202,205 !!colspan="2" | 100.00% !! 53,936 !!colspan="2" | 100.00%

!style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" |Seats won !! colspan="3" |!!colspan="3" |

!style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" |Incumbents returned !! colspan="3" | !!colspan="3" |

1920 British Columbia general election

Results

MLAs elected

Synopsis of results

See also

Further reading

Notes and references

Notes

References