NDP holds Nunavut after Elections Canada validates results
After a delay caused by a blizzard, Elections Canada has finally confirmed the results in Nunavut, with NDP incumbent Lori Idlout emerging victorious over Liberal challenger Kilikvak Kabloona. The validated results were published on Elections Canada’s website on Friday evening, following a thorough verification process to ensure accuracy.
The validation process was prolonged due to a delay in receiving the final ballot box from the community of Naujaat, which was held up at the airline cargo facility in Rankin Inlet during a late-spring blizzard in Iqaluit. This delay prevented Idlout from being sworn in as the Nunavut MP promptly, causing frustration as constituents sought her assistance without her official capacity.
Idlout secured victory over Kabloona by a slim margin of 41 votes, a narrower lead compared to the preliminary results released shortly after election night, which showed a 77-vote difference. Although this margin does not meet the criteria for an automatic judicial recount, as per Elections Canada rules, it signifies the close competition in the riding.
With the Liberals currently holding 170 seats, two short of a majority government, there are still two pending judicial recounts that could impact the final seat count. The Liberals must retain their seat in Terra Nova-The Peninsulas, where a recount is ongoing, with Liberal Anthony Germain initially leading Conservative Jonathan Rowe by 12 votes.
In addition to the ongoing recount in Terra Nova-The Peninsulas, a recount in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore is scheduled to commence on May 20, with Conservative Kathy Borrelli leading incumbent Liberal Irek Kusmierczyk by 77 votes. A recent judicial recount in Milton East-Halton Hills South confirmed Liberal Kristina Tesser Derksen’s victory by a 21-vote margin over Conservative Parm Gill.
The Bloc Québécois is seeking a byelection in Terrebonne after losing by a single vote, following revelations of issues with five additional mail-in ballots. As the political landscape continues to evolve, the House of Commons is slated to reconvene on May 26 for further deliberations and proceedings.
