Candidates in razor-thin B.C. races could be waiting days for mail-in results
Wilson Miao has never run for elected office before.
But the 34-year-old marketing and communications specialist is both humbled and excited about the possibility of flipping his Richmond Centre riding from blue to red.
“I want to be the person that really makes a difference,” Miao told CTV News Tuesday afternoon.
“Just have to be patient and neutral,” he added, not wanting to celebrating until every vote is counted.
That’s because Miao’s race, where he’s leading Conservative incumbent Alice Wong, hinges on the mail-in vote.
Elections Canada puts the number of what it calls “voting kits received” in the riding as of midnight Monday into Tuesday at 4,810.
That number is before mail-in ballots are verified, which is when officials make sure, among other things, that voters haven’t cast multiple ballots, and that the person who requested the ballot is the person who voted.
“We’re doing it in a slow methodical way to make sure all the processes are followed,” said Elections Canada spokesperson Diane Benson.
Benson said the verification should be complete across Canada’s 338 ridings by the end of Tuesday, with the actual counting of mail-in ballots set for Wednesday.
“If there’s a really high volume it could be that the count goes on until Thursday or Friday,” Benson said.
Miao said he’s been told he should be prepared to wait until Saturday.
Another riding that’s too close to call according to the CTV News Decision Desk: Vancouver Granville, where Jody Wilson-Raybould first won as a Liberal in 2015, then an independent in 2019.
As of this writing, Liberal candidate Taleeb Noormohamed leads the NDP’s Anjali Appadurai by a mere 230 votes.
Elections Canada lists the number of “kits” received for Vancouver Granville at 6,275.
And pollster Mario Canseco, who calls the race “compelling,” said, in such a close race, knowing the approximate number of mail-in ballots doesn’t really help, when you don’t know where in the riding the ballots are coming from.
“You have three vast swaths of land,” he explained.
“One of them is heavily NDP, the other one is heavily Conservative, and the one that is closer to to Vancouver South tends to be more Liberal. So it's ultimately about getting out the vote.”
On Vancouver Island, Green Party incumbent Paul Manly is hoping mail-ins make a difference, but acknowledged on Twitter it would be hard to close that gap.
Manly currently tracks third behind his NDP and Conservative opponents.
Elections Canada puts the number of kits received in Nanaimo-Ladysmith at 7,575.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.