Latest news with #electionrecount
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
How a judge handled an 'unprecedented' 1,041 disputed ballots in a tight N.L. recount
A new report explains how a judge dealt with an "unprecedented" number of disputed ballots during a federal election recount in a rural Newfoundland riding recently won by the Conservatives. Justice Garrett Handrigan's report, dated Monday, says the candidates and their teams had flagged 1,041 ballots needing closer examination after the recount ended on May 13 in the riding of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas. "All counsel agreed that this was an unprecedented number and they seemed genuinely perplexed about how to address them appropriately," Handrigan wrote in his decision. Typically, recounts produce far fewer disputed ballots, and lawyers for each candidate are able to argue whether each should be accepted or dismissed, the judge said. "It was evident that we would not be able to do that this time," he wrote. The recount was ordered by Elections Canada after the initial tally following the April 28 federal election showed Liberal candidate Anthony Germain ahead of Conservative Jonathan Rowe by 12 votes. The margin was narrow enough to trigger an automatic judicial recount, led by Handrigan, a provincial Supreme Court judge. The recount began in Marystown in eastern Newfoundland on May 12. The official winner — Rowe, by 12 votes — was announced on Friday, nearly two weeks later. Handrigan said he suggested the lawyers should divide the ballots into categories and then argue whether the votes in each category should be kept or rejected. The lawyers were hesitant at first. But the judge reminded them that while he would consider their arguments, it was ultimately his responsibility to decide which ballots would be counted, his report said. Elections Canada ballots are grey, with white rectangles containing each candidate's name and party. A white circle to the right of each rectangle is where voters are supposed to mark their choice. But on many of the disputed ballots — "maybe as many as half," Handrigan's report said — voters had left their mark in the rectangular box. In some of these so-called "rectangle ballots," voters had also left a mark in the circle. Germain's lawyers argued Handrigan would be disenfranchising those voters by dismissing their ballots. They also argued that the practice of marking ballots in the rectangular boxes "may be unique to Newfoundland and Labrador." However, lawyers for Conservative Jonathan Rowe said Handrigan had to stick with the Canada Elections Act, which says any ballot not marked in the circle next to the name shall be rejected. In the end, Handrigan rejected the so-called "rectangle ballots." A table accompanying his report shows he dismissed about 675 of the disputed ballots. He accepted 167 ballots for Germain and 193 for Rowe — a difference of 26 votes. More than 41,000 people voted in the riding, and 819 ballots were ultimately rejected, according to the Elections Canada website. By comparison, the the riding of Central Newfoundland had the second-highest number of rejected ballots in the province at 492.
National Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Conservative Borrelli holds onto Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore by 4 votes
A judicial recount in the southern Ontario riding of Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore confirmed late Thursday evening that the Conservative candidate clung to the seat by a handful of votes — nearly one month after the April 28 federal election. Article content Article content The three-day recount narrowed the margin from 77 votes to just four, securing Conservative Kathy Borrelli a razor-thin victory over Liberal candidate Irek Kusmierczyk, who had held the federal seat since 2019. Article content Article content 'After a thorough review, I am humbled to confirm the result has reaffirmed the outcome of election night,' Conservative Kathy Borrelli said in an emailed statement around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Article content Article content The judicial review began Tuesday morning at a Tecumseh office space in Green Valley Plaza, where 25 tables staffed by teams of four — including two Elections Canada appointees and one representative from each campaign — meticulously combed through every ballot box, including all rejected ballots. Article content Article content Article content Over three days, the recount teams reviewed more than 70,000 votes from 23 advance, 252 ordinary, and five mobile polls. Article content Article content The judicial recount confirmed that Borrelli received 32,090 votes to Kusmierczyk's 32,086 — 45.8 per cent and 45.7 per cent of the total ballots cast, respectively. Article content 'It is with great excitement and deep respect that I prepare to be sworn in as your next Member of Parliament,' said Borrelli. Article content Article content The recount was ordered May 9 by Justice Macfarlane after Kusmierczyk applied to the court, flagging multiple tabulation errors and a high number of rejected ballots.
CBC
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Conservative Kathy Borrelli narrowly upholds win in federal Windsor-area riding recount
A ballot recount in Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore has confirmed a Conservative win in the border city riding, formalizing the party's blue wave in Canada's most southern tip. The recount, which started Tuesday and wrapped up Thursday, narrowed Conservative candidate Kathy Borrelli's margin of victory over Liberal incumbent Irek Kusmierczyk to mere four votes, according to multiple sources. Unofficial results for the riding after the April 28 federal election showed Borrelli had won by 233 votes. But once Elections Canada validated the results, that lead dropped to 77 — just seven votes shy of triggering an automatic recount based on the total number of votes cast in the riding. A judge on May 9 approved Kusmierczyk's request for a judicial recount, ruling that there was sufficient evidence to justify one. "We got a shot. That's all we asked for," Kusmierczyk said outside the courthouse in downtown Windsor after the judge approved the recount. "At the end of the day, what we're after is clarity and confidence for this community in the results of the election," he said. Borrelli said at the time that she respected the judge's order and would "co-operate fully" with the process. WATCH | Recount ordered in Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore election results: 3 days ago Duration 2:46 The judicial recount began on Monday for the Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore federal riding. The CBC's Katerina Georgieva explains how we got here and what happens now. Kusmierczyk's application relied on affidavits from several scrutineers for his campaign who said they witnessed elections officials reject ballots that they believed were valid. Those ballots included instances where voters had made additional markings outside the circle next to Kusmierczyk's name to indicate their support for him. Elections Canada data showed that of the roughly 70,000 ballots cast in the riding, more than 500 were rejected. Kusmierczyk made a call for donations before the process began. "Every bit helps with the cost of the recount," he said on social media. Borrelli posted on social media as well, saying her "team of expert scrutineers and lawyers" would be present "to make sure that each and every ballot is fairly counted." She also apologized for the "delay in service" the recount had caused the community but said her team was eager to get to work. She had previously travelled to Ottawa with fellow local Conservatives for meetings and orientation before Parliament resumes at the end of the month. The recount took place in a Tecumseh strip mall and took three days to complete. The local recount was among a handful of others in close races across the country — including one where the Liberal candidate won by a single vote. The official results in Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore come just days ahead of the House's return on May 26 and a throne speech by King Charles III the day after.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
How do you get a Liberal and a Conservative to see eye-to-eye? Make them wait for a recount
Liberal Anthony Germain and Conservative Jonathan Rowe have something in common — a strong desire to get this election recount over and done with. It's been almost four weeks since Canadians headed to the polls in a federal election, and there's still no clear winner in the riding of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas in Newfoundland and Labrador. A long and complicated recount, delayed by municipal affairs, has left the rival politicians in limbo as they wait to see who will head to Ottawa, and who will go back to their day job. "I wouldn't say either one of us is getting much sleep," Rowe said as he joined Germain for an interview with As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal on Thursday. "This thing just seems to keep going and going and going," piped in Germain. "So I have nothing but empathy for my honourable opponent." Too close to call Election night was tense for Germain and Rowe. It was was neck-and-neck all evening, and it took more than 20 hours after the polls closed before Elections Canada released the final tally. Germain, a CBC broadcaster-turned-teacher, defeated Rowe, an engineer, by just 12 votes — 19,704 to 19,692. The razor-thin margin triggered an automatic judicial recount, which was made more complicated by the fact that more than 1,000 ballots were in dispute. The process was further delayed on Thursday when a scheduled water shutdown in Marystown, N.L., where the recount is taking place, forced all public buildings to close. An Elections Canada spokesperson told CBC they expect to finish counting on Friday. But the candidates aren't holding their breath. "I don't know, Jonathan, do you think we'll actually find out tomorrow or not?" Germain asked his opponent on Thursday. "We've been hearing tomorrow for a long time, haven't we?" Rowe replied. 'One of us has got to get to Ottawa really quick' Part of the struggle, both candidates say, is figuring out what to do with their lives when their futures are uncertain. Germain quit a job teaching English in Labrador to run for the Liberals, and says he misses his students. "Saying goodbye to them was really, really hard. And if things don't go my way tomorrow, I'll probably be on a plane to go back to teaching them," he said. Rowe, meanwhile, has been on an unpaid leave of absence from his engineering job since August, and has been picking up the occasional shifts at a local nursery, "planting a few flowers [and] trying to sell a few apple trees." "The first thing I'm going to be doing if I lose is strapping up my work boots and rolling up my sleeves and getting back to work," he said. While both men have professional lives they've left behind, they're also eager to potentially start down a new career path, though it will be a bit like starting at a new school part-way through the semester. "One of us has got to get to Ottawa really quick," Germain said. "Here in Clarenville, there's always a running joke. Our family's always late for church," Rowe said of his Newfoundland hometown with a chuckle. "I think the Lord may be punishing me. We're gonna be late to get to Ottawa as well." Despite everything, Germain and Rowe say they have no regrets. Both men say they've run a civilized campaign they're proud of, and have learned a lot about the election process along the way.
