Ballot recounts taking place in 4 tightly contested federal ridings

Ballots will be recounted in four ridings due to the results from last week's election being extremely close between the top candidates.

According to Canada's election rules, a recount is automatically triggered when a candidate wins by less than 0.1 per cent of the overall vote in that riding. In certain circumstances, candidates can also request a recount.

Three of the four ridings were close enough to trigger an automatic recount, while a request was granted in another.

All recounts are overseen by a judge, and a select few are allowed to witness the proceedings. They include the returning officer, the candidates, the recount teams — each consisting of a handler, a recorder and one representative appointed by each candidate — legal counsel for each candidate, legal counsel for the chief electoral officer and two representatives per candidate who are not members of the recount team.

Elections Canada announced earlier this week that the Quebec riding of Terrebonne — where the Bloc Québécois candidate beat the Liberal by 44 votes — would automatically undergo a recount.

Terrebonne had originally been called for the Liberals the day after the votes were cast. But the riding flipped to the Bloc during the validation process — which is different from a recount. Validation is a procedure in which Elections Canada double-checks and verifies the numbers reported on election night.

Elections Canada announced Friday that a recount will also take place in Milton East-Halton Hills South, where the Liberal candidate edged the Conservative by 29 votes.

WATCH | Here's how the automatic recount will work for Terra Nova-The Peninsulas: 

Here’s how the automatic recount will work for Terra Nova-The Peninsulas

4 days ago

Duration 2:09

It was the tightest race in all of Canada in the federal election on April 28. Just 12 votes separate the winner, Liberal Anthony Germain and the unsuccessful candidate, Conservative Jonathan Rowe. The CBC’s Heather Gillis explains what happens next.

The riding was initially declared for the Conservatives, but like Terrebonne the riding was flipped after the validation process.

A recount is also taking place in the N.L. riding of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas, where the Liberal candidate won by 12 votes. 

On Friday, a judge ordered a recount in another Ontario riding — Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore, where the Conservative won by 77 votes.

The Liberal candidate had requested that recount, citing more than a dozen affidavits from scrutineers for his campaign who had witnessed ballots be rejected that they say were valid.

The Liberals fell just three seats short of the 172 required of a majority government. Even if the recounts all turn out Liberal victories, the party will still be one short.

The recounts in Terra Nova-The Peninsulas and Milton East-Halton Hills South will begin next week. Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore's recount will start on May 20.

The recount in Terrebonne began Thursday. CBC News has asked Elections Canada for clarification whether that recount is ongoing.