VICTORIA -- The latest ballot count shows the Liberal candidate taking the lead in a tightly contested British Columbia riding that could determine the outcome of the province's election.

Elections BC's website shows Liberal Jim Benninger with a three-vote lead over the NDP's Ronna Rae Leonard at noon today in Courtenay-Comox.

Rae Leonard held a nine-vote lead on election night.

Absentee ballots in the riding continue to be counted before final results are declared.

A Liberal victory in the riding would give Christy Clark's party 44 seats, enough for the slimmest majority government in the 87-seat legislature.

As the counting continued, several groups opposed to the Site C hydroelectric dam and the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project called for a pact between the New Democrats and Greens, if the final results produce a minority government.

A wide range of social, environmental and First Nations groups say a minority government represents a historic opportunity for the two political movements to work together as a unified force.

About 180,000 absentee ballots are being counted to determine the official outcome of the May 9 election.

After the counting was done on election night, the Liberals had 43 seats, the NDP 41 and the Greens three.