North Okanagan-Shuswap candidates (Submitted photos)

By Pete McIntyre

Federal election

North Okanagan-Shuswap election results

Sep 20, 2021 | 7:00 PM

UPDATE: 11:15 p.m

The votes at 300 of 308 polling stations in the North Okanagan – Shuswap have been counted, and there hasn’t been a change in representation.

Mel Arnold is projected to serve his third term as Member of Parliament for the riding after receiving 28,800 or 46 per cent of the votes as of time of publication.

Arnold received 16,902 more votes than the runner up, NDP candidate Ron Johnston, who’s named was checked off on 11,898 or 19 per cent of the votes.

Liberal Shelley Desautels finished third with 11,604 or 19 per cent of the votes, followed by Kyle Delfing with the PPC (6,304 or 10 per cent), and then Andrea Gunner with the Greens ( 3,413 or 6 per cent).

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As of 11:15 p.m. on Monday, 62,019 votes had been counted, which means 58.18 per cent of eligible voters in the region filled out their ballots in either advanced polls or on election day.

It’s expected to take a few days for the mail in ballots to be counted and those results released.

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9:40 p.m.

Mel Arnold still holds a massive lead in the North Okanagan – Shuswap riding as 205 of the 308 polls have been reported.

Arnold, whose name was checked off on 17,536 or 45 per cent of the ballots counted so far, holds a 9,670 vote lead over his closest competitors.

NDP candidate Ron Johnston held 20 per cent of the vote as 7,866 of the ballots had his name checked off.

Liberal Shelley Desautels had also received 7,689 or 20 per cent of the votes counted so far.

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9:18 p.m.

Mel Arnold’s lead remains steady as more polls are reported in the North Okanagan – Shuswap riding.

As 155 of the 308 polls in the riding have been reported, Arnold has received 10,622 votes, or 44 per cent of those counted so far.

He holds a 5,525 vote lead over second place Ron Johnston with the NDP, who has 5,097 votes, or 21 per cent.

Liberal candidate Shelley Desautels continues to be in a close third with 20 per cent of the vote, or 4,777.

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8:55 p.m.

Mel Arnold’s lead continues to grow as the polls are reported in the North Okanagan – Shuswap riding.

Arnold had a 4,077 vote lead after 110 of the 308 polls were reported.

He had received 7,590 votes, or 46 per cent.

Ron Joshnton with the NDP continued to hold 20 per cent of the vote with 3,337 cast in his name, followed by Liberal Shelley Desautels who had received 19 per cent or 3,251 votes.

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8:45 p.m.

Mel Arnold’s vote lead has extended to 3,094 votes.

After 81 of the 308 polls in the North Okanagan – Shuswap riding was counted, Arnold had 46 per cent of the votes with 5,632 cast for him.

He beat out NDP candidate Ron Johnston, who at the time had received 21 per cent of the vote, and Liberal Shelley Desautels who had 19 per cent of the vote.

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8:30 p.m.

Mel Arnold, the incumbent MP for the North Okanagan Shuswap riding, has been re-elected for his third term.

The win was called after 50 of the 308 polls were counted, and Arnold holding 47 per cent of the votes.

Arnold, who had received 3,435 votes when the win was announced, had a 1,952 vote lead over NDP’s Ron Johnston, who had 20 per cent of the vote at 1,483.

Liberal candidate Shelley Desautels was in third in the riding with 18 per cent of the votes.

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8:23 p.m.

The Conservatives continue to hold the lead int he North Okanagan – Shuswap riding after 45 of the 308 polls have been reported.

Incumbent MP Mel Arnold has 3,099 or 47 per cent of the votes counted so far.

NDP candidate Ron Johnston is in second place with 1,345 or 20 per cent of the votes after 45 polls, followed closely by Liberal Shelley Desautels who has 1,188 or 18 per cent of the votes.

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8:15 p.m.

The Conservatives lead has slipped a bit as 30 of the 308 polls have been reported in the North Okanagan Shuswap Riding

Incumbent Mel Arnold now has 47 per cent of the vote at 2,035.

He’s followed by NDP candidate Ron Johnston who has 20 per cent at 852, then Shelley Desautels with the Liberals who has 18 per cent of the votes at 768.

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8:10 p.m. The Conservatives have taken an early lead in the North Okanagan Shuswap riding.

The first 14 polls have been counted and incumbent MP Mel Arnold has taken a majority of the votes. He leads the riding with 51 per cent of the votes counted so far (981).

Second place is currently held by Shelley Desautels of the Liberals who has 18 per cent of the vote (414), followed  and Ron Johnston of the NDP who has 18 per cent (399).

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7 p.m. The polls have now closed on Canada’s 44th general election.

The North Okanagan-Shuswap riding has been a right wing stronghold dating back to 1993 when Darrel Stinson won the first of his four terms with the Reform and Alliance parties and then the Conservatives.

Before Stinson, Lyle MacWiliam of the NDP held the riding from 1988 to 1993.

Former Salmon Arm mayor Colin Mayes won three terms for the Conservatives after Stinson retired from 2006 to 2015 and then another Salmon Arm resident, business owner Mel Arnold, began his run from 2015 to present for the Tories.

Arnold faces four challengers including Kyle Delfing of the People’s Party who is on the ballot for a second time for Maxime Bernier’s party and three newcomers: Shelley Desautels of the Liberals, Andrea Gunner of the Greens and Ron Johnston of the NDP.

Arnold won by over 9,000 votes in 2019 with Cindy Derkaz of the Liberals a distant second and Harwinder Sandhu of the NDP in third.

Sandhu went on to win the MLA’s job for the NDP in last year’s provincial election.

The poll tracking site 338 Canada is predicting all three Okanagan ridings are expected to be retained by the Conservatives.