Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton recount could need extra day

The vote recount for the riding of Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton is underway Thursday at the capital city's courthouse.

Progressive Conservative Mary Wilson took the riding by a 93-vote margin last week over Liberal candidate John Fife, who applied for a recount Tuesday.

It's one of three judicial recounts approved following the close provincial election that saw the PCs win 22 seats and the Liberals 21. Both parties are now attempting to form government. The Green Party and People's Alliance each won three seats.

'It is 100 per cent accurate'

6 years ago

Duration 0:40

The recount for Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton riding found the tabulation machines were correct.

Liberal Gerry Lowe's 10-vote victory in Saint John Harbour has been confirmed, and the Memramcook-Tantramar recount in Moncton is underway.  

'It's very thorough'

Justice Judy Clendening is presiding over the Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton recount, which began shortly after 10 a.m. in the Court of Queen's Bench. A total of 7,522 votes will be recounted, and it's expected to be completed Friday morning.

Asked what he thought of the process when entering the courthouse Thursday, Fife simply said, "It's very thorough."

Fife has said his application is based on a large discrepancy between the election results and the support he and other canvassers with his campaign were expecting from voters in Oromocto, near Base Gagetown.

Fife is a retired military colonel, who still works on the base and said he had received a lot of positive feedback from the area.

"The outcome of that particular poll was sort of like a 180-degree of what we had anticipated," he said Wednesday.

There are actually two polls in question, Fife clarified, numbered 12 and 13.

Partial recount sought

His lawyer, Daniel Leger, said outside the courthouse Thursday that they applied for a partial recount, but that's not an option under the law.

"At the end of the day, Mr. Fife has, like any other candidate, worked hard, canvassed, knocked on doors and had a view that in certain areas of the riding that the count would be different," Leger told reporters.

"So really and truly, we asked for a partial recount, but, unfortunately, the law doesn't allow for that. So we have to count all the ballots to get to where Mr. Fife was looking for."

Wilson, the winner on election night, said she would await the outcome of the recount before commenting.

The recount could be delayed by the arrival of the special ballots, which are all together in one ballot box.

They were in Saint John on Wednesday for the Saint John Harbour recount before heading to Moncton court for the Memramcook-Tantramar recount. Fredericton will be the last stop.