It may be Thursday before final Hamilton Mountain winner is known
Samantha Craggs | CBC News | Posted: September 21, 2021 6:37 PM | Last Updated: September 21, 2021
Workers are counting mail-in and special ballots, which could make the difference between Liberal and NDP
It could be three days before the final results are known of a tight federal election race on Hamilton Mountain.
Liberal Lisa Hepfner, a CHCH reporter, has a slight edge over Malcolm Allen of the NDP. But mail-in and special ballots are still being counted, and those votes could make a difference.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, Hepfner had 15,623 votes (33.8 per cent) to Allen's 14,939 (32.3 per cent) with 154 of 155 polls reporting. Tuesday morning, Hepfner's campaign says 2,600 votes are still outstanding.
In a message sent to CBC Hamilton, aimed at Mountain residents, Hepfner campaign manager Colin Lalonde said, "From the beginning, we've said that you have a voice and you should be heard."
"We look forward to hearing the full results as they're confirmed by Elections Canada and ask for your continued patience while our trusted democratic process plays out."
Dugald Maudsley, an Elections Canada spokesperson, says he couldn't comment on the specific status of Hamilton Mountain. But Elections Canada should finish the verification process for special ballots Tuesday, he said, and have counted most of the ballots Wednesday.
The vote so far
"What I can say is that the results by electoral district will be updated on our Elections Canada results page on a regular basis and that you should look there for the impact of the special ballot count for Hamilton Mountain," he said.
So far, Hepfner has 34 per cent of the vote and Allen 32 per cent. Conservative Al Miles has earned 11,155 votes so far, or 25 per cent of the vote.
Chelsey Taylor of the People's Party of Canada has six per cent of the vote (2,926 votes), and Dave Urquhart of the Green Party, who did not actively campaign, has two per cent (913 votes). Jim Enos of the Christian Heritage Party has 311 votes so far.
If Hepfner wins, it will be an upset for the riding, which has been NDP since 2006.
Most recently, former city councillor Scott Duvall represented the riding. He announced his retirement in March and endorsed Allen, a former NDP MP for Niagara Centre and electrician who's served on the executive board of Unifor.
Rebuilding the base
"It's important that representatives for the people of Hamilton understand the struggle of working people, seniors and our youth in Hamilton," Duvall said when he endorsed Allen. "I am confident that Malcolm can and will represent the interests and needs of all our constituents."
Allen hasn't responded to requests for comment Tuesday.
But overall, the NDP placed third in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, a riding the party hoped to reclaim. If it loses on Hamilton Mountain, it may need to refocus, says Peter Graefe, a McMaster University political scientist.
In future elections, he says, the NDP may want to concentrate more on a riding like Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, which is NDP provincially.
Former NDP MP Chris Charlton spent years organizing and building a base on the Mountain, which gave the party multiple wins, Graefe says.
"Since she's left, there hasn't been that degree of organization."