The race is too close to call.

There appears to be no clear winner in Saturday's provincial election – at least for now – with the leadership race remaining neck-and-neck between B.C. NDP Leader David Eby and Conservative Leader John Rustad.

As of Saturday evening, neither party had secured the 47 ridings needed to form a majority government in the 93-seat legislature. A mere 20,000 votes set the New Democrats slightly ahead, with 96 per cent of total ballot boxes reported, according to Elections BC.

From the B.C. NDP headquarters in Vancouver, party leader David Eby acknowledged the unclear outcome but framed the outcome as a "clear majority for progressive values."

However, he added this "narrowest of margins"  also contained a second message.

"We got to do better and we will do better," he said. He then used this occasion to signal his desire to stay on as premier. B.C. deserves a premier that brings people together.

"(I) promise to be that premier," he told his supporters.

Eby acknowledged that Rustad spoke to the frustrations of many British Columbians in promising to address concerns like affordability and public safety. Eby also praised B.C. Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau for running a "strong and principled campaign" in signalling them. 

"There are many values we share in common with the Green Party and I am committed to work them on our common interests." 

Rustad, meanwhile, used his speech to B.C. Conservative supporters, also in Vancouver, to first frame the rise of the party from decades of obscurity to the very edge of government –evidence that people "were hungry for common-sense change" in the province, he said.

"We have not yet given up this fight -- we are going to keep pushing hard," he told the crowd in reference to the tight results.

And if the B.C. NDP were to form a government, they should not get too comfortable.

"If we are in that situation, we are going to make it as difficult as possible for this NDP to do any more destruction to this province," he said. If Conservatives were to find themselves in opposition, they will look to end a future Eby minority government at the earliest opportunity, he added.

Much like in 2017, the B.C. Greens may be positioned to play a key role in the future of the province.

On Saturday night, Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said her party was poised to play a "pivotal role" in the legislature.

The Greens will retain two seats, with Rob Botterell victorious in Saanich North and the Islands and Jeremy Valeriote winning in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.

None of the 40 or so Independent candidates were victorious, raising the prospect of a minority government with the Greens holding the balance of power.

Furstenau lost to the NDP's Grace Lore after switching ridings to Victoria-Beacon Hill, but said she was "so excited" for her two colleagues, calling their wins "incredible."

"This is a passing of the torch and I am going to be there to mentor and guide and lead in any way that I can," she told her supporters in Victoria.

UBC political scientist Stewart Prest said B.C. has truly entered a polarized political environment.

"We have two leading parties with seemingly little regard for each other, about to co-habitate the legislature."

The 43rd provincial election marked the first to use a new electronic tabulation process for votes, however final counts will be by hand. That final count will happen between Oct. 26-28, which will clarify ridings that on Saturday were too close to call. If, after that, the difference between two or more candidates in a riding comes within 1/500th of the total votes cast, there will be a judicial recount. 

There had already been a big turnout before election day on Saturday, with more than a million advance votes cast, representing more than 28 per cent of valid voters and smashing the previous record for early polling. An atmospheric river hitting the Lower Mainland didn't seem to put a damper on total voter turnout, at roughly 57 per cent.

"Younger voters are turning away from incumbents everywhere, feeling overlooked by the system," Prest said. "The NDP will have to find a way to win some of them back or face a worse outcome next time." 

– with files from The Canadian Press