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
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.