# 1952 British Columbia general election

The 1952 British Columbia general election was the 23rd general election in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, alongside a plebiscite on daylight saving time and liquor. The election was called on April 10, 1952, and held on June 12, 1952. The new legislature met for the first time on February 3, 1953.
In 1951, the Legislative Assembly passed an act that allowed the use of preferential ballots in the next election. The voting system used was instant-runoff voting (IRV). The presence of multi-member districts, such as Victoria City with 3 MLAs, was handled by an innovation where the district's candidates were split into three "ballots", each with no more than one candidate from each party, with the member in each being elected by IRV. The voting age was also lowered from 21 to 19 prior to this election.
Due to the preferential ballot and a large increase in SC support, the election resulted in a surprise victory for the new Social Credit Party. Not even the Socreds had expected to win the election; the party had no official leader, and was nominally lead through the election by Ernest George Hansell, an Alberta MP who did not contest a BC seat himself. The newly elected caucus selected W. A. C. Bennett, a former Conservative MLA, to be their leader and premier-designate.
This began what would be 20 years of uninterrupted Social Credit rule in British Columbia. In this election, no party took a majority of the seats in the legislature. This would be the last time that such a minority government was elected until the 2017 election. From 1952 to 2017, especially in the 2005 to 2017 period, often a single party that had not received a majority of the votes cast achieved a majority of seats and held power.

## Background

The government until not long before the election had been a Liberal–Progressive Conservative coalition (the Conservatives had recently changed their name to match that of the federal party). After the coalition had collapsed, the Liberals felt threatened by the rising popularity of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. To lock out the CCF, the government adopted the alternative voting system instead of leaving the existing system in place or switching to the single transferable vote system. While they ran candidates separately under their own names, Liberal and Conservative party leaders believed that if Liberal voters picked the local Tory candidate as their second preference and vice versa, one of the candidates of the two parties would have enough votes to be elected in many districts, hopefully ensuring the coalition's retention of power.

## Vote count results

However, the Liberal and PC leaders had not reckoned on being so unpopular with the province's voters. The combined Liberal and PC vote total was 120,000 fewer votes than in the previous election, while the Social Credit party received almost 200,000 more votes than in 1949. The combined Liberal and Conservative vote totals surpassed 50 percent in only eight seat contests, so even if the party voters had adhered to coalition discipline, the coalition did not have enough votes to be elected in most of the districts. They received only a comparative few votes through vote transfers from CCF and SC candidates, whose supporters aided each other where possible.
In districts where CCF candidates were eliminated, back-up preferences were marked overwhelmingly for the British Columbia Social Credit League (BCSCL). Combined with many second-preference votes transferred from eliminated Liberal and Conservative candidates, this gave the Social Credit party five seats in addition to the 14 seats where its candidates had a plurality in the first counts. In the end, the Social Credit party captured 19 seats. The CCF received 18 seats, helped in many cases by transfers from eliminated SC candidates. The coalition was almost wiped out, winning only 10 seats between both parties. Both Premier Byron "Boss" Johnson and Tory leader Herbert Anscomb lost their seats.
Not even the Socreds had expected to win the election. The party had no official leader. Alberta Social Credit Member of Parliament Ernest George Hansell had led the party during the election campaign without contesting a seat himself. The Socreds persuaded Tom Uphill, a Labour member of the Legislature (MLA), to support the party, and so the Socreds were able to form a minority government. (Otherwise, having to provide the Speaker meant that the SC seat total would have been reduced to only the same as the CCF's seat count.)

## Aftermath

The party's next task was to choose the province's new premier. In a vote of the newly elected caucus, W. A. C. Bennett, a former Conservative MLA who joined the Socreds after losing a bid for the Tory leadership, won a caucus vote and became premier-designate on July 15, 1952. This began what would be 20 years of uninterrupted Social Credit rule in British Columbia. The party held power for 36 of the following 39 years. It would also be the last British Columbia election to produce a minority government until the 2017 election.
In hopes of getting a stronger mandate, Bennett deliberately lost a confidence vote in 1953. This forced an election in June 1953 in which Social Credit won a majority of the seats.

## Results

Elections to the 23rd Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (1952) :
| Party | Party | Leader | Candidates | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Leader | Candidates | Votes | ± | % Fpv | ± | 1949 | 1952 | ± |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Harold Winch | 48 | 236,562 | 8,722 | 30.78 | 4.32 | 7 | 18 / 48 | 11 |
| | Social Credit League | W. A. C. Bennett | 47 | 209,049 | 194,723 | 27.20 | 25.15 | – | 19 / 48 | 19 |
| | Liberal | Boss Johnson | 48 | 180,289 | 120,045 | 23.46 | 21.05 | 39 | 6 / 48 | 29 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Herbert Anscomb | 47 | 129,439 | 120,045 | 16.84 | 21.05 | 39 | 4 / 48 | 29 |
| | Labour | Tom Uphill | 1 | 1,290 | 193 | 0.16 | 0.05 | 1 | 1 / 48 | |
| | Independent | | 6 | 1,312 | 3,851 | 0.17 | 0.57 | 1 | 0 / 48 | 1 |
| | Christian Democratic | | 8 | 7,176 | 7,176 | 0.93 | New |
| | Labor-Progressive | | 5 | 2,514 | 854 | 0.33 | 0.09 |
| | Labour Representation Committee | | 1 | 654 | 654 | 0.09 | New |
| | Socialist | | 1 | 276 | 276 | 0.04 | Returned |
| Total | Total | Total | 212 | 768,561 | 768,561 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 45,649 | 35,758 | | |
| Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | 543,456 | 65,457 | 68.53% | 5.11 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 793,073 | 144,054 | | |

## MLAs elected
### Synopsis of results

Results by riding – 1952 British Columbia general election (all districts) :
| Riding | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | First-preference votes | Final counts | Final counts | Final counts | Final counts | Final counts | Final counts | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party |
| Name | CCF | SC | Lib | PC | Lab | Ind | Oth | Total | # | CCF | SC | Lib | PC | Lab | 1949 | 1949 | 1952 | 1952 |
| Alberni | 3,067 | 1,366 | 2,176 | 1,204 | – | – | 196 | 8,009 | 4th | 4,054 | – | 3,030 | – | – | | Ind | | CCF |
| Atlin | 595 | – | 292 | 164 | – | – | – | 1,051 | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | | CCF | | CCF |
| Burnaby | 12,933 | 6,750 | 3,816 | 2,807 | – | – | 662 | 26,968 | 3rd | 13,416 | 7,780 | 4,919 | – | – | | CCF | | CCF |
| Cariboo | 689 | 2,684 | 1,029 | 775 | – | – | – | 5,177 | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | | Coal | | SC |
| Chilliwack | 2,242 | 8,509 | 2,543 | 2,097 | – | – | – | 15,391 | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | | Coal | | SC |
| Columbia | 365 | 841 | 649 | 360 | – | – | – | 2,215 | 3rd | – | 1,174 | 860 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Comox | 5,369 | 2,987 | 3,532 | 1,868 | – | – | – | 13,756 | 3rd | 7,098 | – | 5,210 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Cowichan-Newcastle | 4,636 | 1,886 | 2,711 | 1,463 | – | – | – | 10,696 | 3rd | 5,697 | – | 4,064 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Cranbrook | 2,688 | 2,328 | 1,111 | 675 | – | – | – | 6,802 | 3rd | 3,210 | 3,044 | – | – | – | | CCF | | CCF |
| Delta | 10,853 | 11,759 | 4,293 | 4,688 | – | – | – | 31,593 | 3rd | 13,295 | 14,805 | – | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Dewdney | 6,024 | 7,600 | 3,631 | 2,233 | – | – | – | 19,488 | 3rd | 7,248 | 9,813 | – | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Esquimalt | 3,607 | 1,606 | 2,294 | 1,550 | – | – | – | 9,057 | 3rd | 4,741 | – | 3,597 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Fernie | 612 | 713 | 1,117 | – | 1,290 | – | – | 3,732 | 3rd | – | – | 1,329 | – | 1,758 | | Lab | | Lab |
| Fort George | 1,593 | 2,009 | 2,022 | 371 | – | – | – | 5,995 | 3rd | – | 2,760 | 2,468 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Grand Forks-Greenwood | 826 | 292 | 252 | 706 | – | – | – | 2,076 | 3rd | 1,043 | – | – | 922 | – | | CCF | | CCF |
| Kamloops | 1,311 | 3,108 | 2,708 | 959 | – | – | – | 8,086 | 3rd | – | 4,002 | 3,366 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Kaslo-Slocan | 1,411 | 597 | 617 | 522 | – | – | – | 3,147 | 3rd | 1,792 | – | 1,000 | – | – | | CCF | | CCF |
| Lillooet | 1,074 | 450 | 725 | 1,301 | – | 96 | – | 3,646 | 4th | 1,416 | – | – | 1,847 | – | | Coal | | PC |
| Mackenzie | 4,230 | 1,795 | 3,752 | 1,285 | – | – | – | 11,062 | 3rd | 5,373 | – | 4,669 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Nanaimo and the Islands | 3,715 | 951 | 2,263 | 3,346 | – | – | 207 | 10,482 | 4th | 4,581 | – | – | 5,144 | – | | Coal | | PC |
| Nelson-Creston | 2,473 | 2,975 | 2,572 | 774 | – | – | – | 8,794 | 3rd | – | 4,265 | 3,351 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| New Westminster | 4,262 | 3,616 | 4,317 | 2,163 | – | – | – | 14,358 | 3rd | 6,475 | – | 5,768 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| North Okanagan | 1,786 | 4,347 | 2,104 | 1,240 | – | – | – | 9,477 | 3rd | – | 5,447 | 3,063 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| North Vancouver | 6,268 | 4,947 | 6,695 | 4,061 | – | 216 | 604 | 22,791 | 6th | 8,980 | – | 10,292 | – | – | | Coal | | Lib |
| Oak Bay | 707 | 1,071 | 3,631 | 2,843 | – | – | – | 8,252 | 3rd | – | – | 4,308 | 3,282 | – | | Coal | | Lib |
| Omineca | 838 | 1,137 | 1,099 | 574 | – | – | – | 3,648 | 3rd | – | 1,607 | 1,437 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Peace River | 1,571 | 2,178 | 1,425 | 278 | – | – | – | 5,452 | 3rd | 1,865 | 2,942 | – | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Prince Rupert | 2,292 | 1,104 | 2,001 | 687 | – | – | – | 6,084 | 3rd | 2,903 | – | 2,754 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Revelstoke | 942 | 598 | 636 | 555 | – | – | – | 2,731 | 3rd | 1,320 | – | 1,015 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Rossland-Trail | 2,541 | 3,979 | 3,331 | 1,690 | – | – | – | 11,541 | 3rd | – | 5,917 | 4,803 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Saanich | 5,862 | 2,947 | 4,964 | 3,407 | – | – | – | 17,181 | 3rd | 7,867 | – | 7,599 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Salmon Arm | 1,236 | 1,462 | 669 | 896 | – | – | – | 4,263 | 3rd | 1,617 | 1,979 | – | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Similkameen | 3,433 | 3,344 | 2,545 | 1,401 | – | – | – | 10,723 | 3rd | 4,668 | 4,712 | – | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Skeena | 1,048 | 501 | 1,500 | 586 | – | – | – | 3,635 | 3rd | 1,318 | – | 1,865 | – | – | | Coal | | Lib |
| South Okanagan | 2,654 | 6,082 | 1,763 | 1,371 | – | – | – | 11,870 | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | | Coal | | SC |
| Yale | 659 | 1,024 | 1,067 | 338 | – | 60 | – | 3,148 | 4th | – | 1,390 | 1,311 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Vancouver-Burrard (A) | 10,037 | 9,166 | 6,166 | 5,765 | – | 577 | 1,064 | 32,775 | 5th | 12,578 | 13,222 | – | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Vancouver-Burrard (B) | 10,397 | 9,002 | 6,358 | 5,615 | – | – | 1,046 | 32,418 | 4th | 12,920 | 13,166 | – | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Vancouver Centre (A) | 6,912 | 4,694 | 5,234 | 4,120 | – | – | 1,321 | 22,281 | 5th | 9,363 | – | 7,956 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Vancouver Centre (B) | 7,350 | 4,497 | 5,394 | 3,951 | – | – | 967 | 22,159 | 5th | 9,893 | – | 8,496 | – | – | | Coal | | CCF |
| Vancouver East (A) | 21,006 | 11,536 | 6,574 | 2,850 | – | – | 2,304 | 44,270 | 4th | 21,960 | 12,433 | 8,263 | – | – | | CCF | | CCF |
| Vancouver East (B) | 23,051 | 11,202 | 5,286 | 3,045 | – | – | 2,249 | 44,833 | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | Elected on 1st count | | CCF | | CCF |
| Vancouver-Point Grey (A) | 11,267 | 13,771 | 13,406 | 14,042 | – | – | – | 52,495 | 3rd | – | 20,645 | – | 22,549 | – | | Coal | | PC |
| Vancouver-Point Grey (B) | 11,366 | 12,882 | 12,828 | 14,886 | – | – | – | 51,962 | 3rd | – | 18,603 | – | 24,089 | – | | Coal | | PC |
| Vancouver-Point Grey (C) | 10,451 | 19,236 | 12,087 | 10,356 | – | – | – | 52,130 | 3rd | – | 25,749 | 18,078 | – | – | | Coal | | SC |
| Victoria City (A) | 6,008 | 4,518 | 8,805 | 4,362 | – | 137 | – | 23,830 | 4th | 8,421 | – | 12,071 | – | – | | Coal | | Lib |
| Victoria City (B) | 6,329 | 4,365 | 7,842 | 4,608 | – | 226 | – | 23,370 | 4th | 8,902 | – | 11,057 | – | – | | Coal | | Lib |
| Victoria City (C) | 5,975 | 4,637 | 8,457 | 4,601 | – | – | – | 23,670 | 3rd | 8,511 | – | 11,762 | – | – | | Coal | | Lib |
    = Open seat
    = 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 by-election gain
    = Multiple candidates

### Analysis

Party popularity ranked, numbers of districts :
| First preference | First preference | First preference | First preference | First preference | Final count | Final count | Final count |
| Parties | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| █ Co-operative Commonwealth | 21 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 18 | 14 | – |
| █ Social Credit | 14 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 19 | 5 | – |
| █ Liberal | 9 | 22 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 2 |
| █ Progressive Conservative | 3 | 3 | 7 | 34 | 4 | 2 | – |
| █ Labour | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
Party candidates in 2nd place (first preference) :
| Party in 1st place | Party in 1st place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Total |
| Party in 1st place | Party in 1st place | Socred | CCF | Liberal | PC | Total |
| | Social Credit | – | 5 | 9 | – | 14 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | 7 | – | 12 | 2 | 21 |
| | Liberal | 2 | 6 | – | 1 | 9 |
| | Progressive Conservative | 2 | 1 | – | – | 3 |
| | Labour | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Total | Total | 11 | 12 | 22 | 3 | 48 |
Party candidates in 2nd place (final count) :
| Party in 1st place | Party in 1st place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Total |
| Party in 1st place | Party in 1st place | Socred | CCF | Liberal | PC | Total |
| | Social Credit | – | 8 | 11 | – | 19 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | 4 | – | 13 | 1 | 18 |
| | Liberal | 5 | – | – | 1 | 6 |
| | Progressive Conservative | 2 | 2 | – | – | 4 |
| | Labour | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Total | Total | 11 | 10 | 25 | 2 | 48 |