Pollster explains BC Liberal win

Polling company Ipsos Reid is defending its polling practices while at the same time explaining how the BC Liberals were able to sweep back into power despite being well behind in polls leading up to Tuesday's provincial election.

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After interviewing 1,400 people on election day, Ipsos Reid claims the Liberals created enough momentum in the final days of the campaign to put them over the top.

It also stated negative advertising played a roll as did motivating voters to get out and vote.

"The long and the short of it was that NDP voters did not get out and fulfill their promise to vote for the party of their choice - they stayed home while Liberal voters showed up," the company stated in its latest polling information.

"As such, a small number of voters were able to influence the greater outcome."

They also stated the negative advertising campaign the Liberals waged against the NDP had a slaughtering effect.

"If ever there was a case to behold that negative advertising campaigns work, it is here where the Liberals were able to take the NDP lead at the outset of the campaign of 20+ points in some of the polls and put it in a hole."

Ipsos Reid says exit polls show 11% of voters didn't decide on who to vote for until they got into the voting booth and 23% stated they didn't make up their mind until the final week of the campaign.

Those that waited until late in the campaign chose the Liberals by a seven point margin.

The Liberals in fact held an edge over the NDP of voters who made up their mind at any point during the campaign. Only those who decided before the campaign began sided with the NDP (50% to 43%).

On the issues, Ipsos Reid's exit polling suggests voters sided with the Liberals on issues considered very important including the economy, government spending and leadership while siding with the NDP on health care, trust and open and honest government.