A northeastern Ontario riding could be headed for a vote recount, following close provincial election results

Erika Chorostil · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 04, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 4

A northeastern Ontario electoral riding could beryllium headed for a ballot recount, pursuing past week's provincial election.

When polls closed connected Feb. 27 successful Mushkegowuk-James Bay, NDP MPP incumbent Guy Bourgouin had a four-vote pb implicit Progressive Conservative campaigner Dave Plourde.

Elections Ontario said it is inactive tabulating authoritative results from the election. Once tabulations are complete, authoritative results volition springiness the full fig of marked, declined, unmarked, and rejected ballots for each poll. 

Under the Election Act, erstwhile votes are officially tabulated, if determination is simply a borderline of triumph of little than 25 votes, arsenic is presently the lawsuit successful Mushkegowuk-James Bay, the returning serviceman for the territory volition beryllium required to use for a recount.

Plourde, who is besides the politician of Kapuskasing, is calling for a recount and said he's hopeful the result volition spell successful his favour.

"We're conscionable anxiously awaiting and we're hopeful that, you know, we're capable to spot affirmative results. And I'm optimistic," said Plourde. 

"I deliberation there's decidedly an accidental present that we could spot a alteration successful the results arsenic they were received connected predetermination night."

He said the riding has been held by the NDP for galore years, but helium believes the adjacent results astatine the polls shows that radical successful the acold bluish Ontario riding privation to spot alteration and that it shows committedness for the Conservatives going forward.

Elections Ontario said it volition await the completion of the authoritative tabulation process earlier determining adjacent steps, including whether to contented a recount.

If a recount were to spell ahead, it could beryllium a fewer weeks earlier an authoritative effect is known.

Bourgouin, who has been the MPP for Mushkegowuk-James Bay since 2017, has said helium is not commenting connected the results until they are official.