Conservative-held Riding in Ontario Shifts to Liberal Control
Rewritten Article:
Here's a lowdown on the recent federal riding results in Ontario and Quebec, causing quite a stir.
Milton East-Halton Hills South, a fresh riding created through electoral redistribution, has shown some tight competition between candidates. After a vote recount, the Liberal candidate, Kristina Tesser Derksen, secured the win with 32,130 votes, beating the Conservative candidate, Parm Gill, who garnered 32,101 votes, a mere 29-vote difference. The recount resulted in the Liberal minority government now boasting 169 seats, while the Conservatives sit on 143.
Interestingly, the federal riding of Terrebonne, Quebec, flipped from a Liberal victory to a Bloc Québécois win following a postal vote recount.
Initially, Mr. Gill was leading Milton East-Halton Hills South with 32,186 votes, whereas Tesser Derksen trailed with 31,888 votes, a gap of 298 votes. The recount, however, revealed that 412 ballots were rejected in the riding.
Now, let's delve into the nitty-gritty of the recount process in Canadian federal elections. The procedure involves two primary mechanisms: verification during initial counting and formal judicial recounts. During standard ballot counting, election officers adhere to strict procedures to ensure accuracy.
First, a counter tallies ballots into candidate piles while a recorder checks the numbers against the tally sheet. Discrepancies trigger a recount of the entire pile. If results still differ, the physical ballot count prevails over the tally sheet. Mismatches are noted on the tally sheet, and ballots are sealed in envelopes labeled with results for secure storage. The "Statement of the Vote" is signed by all officials and transmitted electronically to Elections Canada for real-time public reporting.
A formal recount occurs under specific criteria outlined in the Canada Elections Act. An elector or candidate may request a judicial recount if there is credible evidence of incorrect ballot counts/rejections, errors in the Statement of the Vote numbers, or miscalculations by the returning officer during result tabulation. A superior court judge oversees the recount in the relevant electoral district, and ballots are manually re-examined to resolve disputes. All ballots remain secured for 10 years, enabling post-election investigations or verification.
It's essential to note that concerns about election legitimacy, such as procedural irregularities, require a contested election application filed in provincial superior court or Federal Court. This process does not involve ballot recounts but examines broader legal compliance. Special ballots (including mail-in votes) follow the same stringent counting and recount protocols as regular ballots.
- The Liberal candidate, Kristina Tesser Derksen, triumphed in Milton East-Halton Hills South, a new Ontario riding, despite a close race with the Conservative candidate, Parm Gill, with a difference of merely 29 votes.
- In the federal riding of Terrebonne, Quebec, the Bloc Québécois won after a postal vote recount, flipping the seat from a previous Liberal victory.
- The recount in Milton East-Halton Hills South highlighted the meticulous process followed in Canadian federal elections, where ballots are verified and formal judicial recounts can be requested if there are concerns about incorrect ballot counts or errors in the Statement of the Vote.
- Contested elections applications in provincial superior court or Federal Court address concerns about election legitimacy and investigate broader legal compliance, separate from ballot recounts, and special ballots like mail-in votes follow the same strict counting and recount protocols.
