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Four ridings that could go from blue to red over the robocall scandal
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Canada Politics
Despite the onerous rules to force a by-election, you have to believe that someone, in some riding, at some point, will ask a judge to overturn an election as a result of the robocall scandal.
In order for a judge to declare an election result null and void, a Canadian citizen would have to convince him or her that irregularities, fraud, or corrupt practices affected the result of the election.
On Thursday, the Globe and Mail published an interactive map, of the ridings that had reported the misleading robocalls to Elections Canada. Four of the highlighted ridings had margins of victory of less than a thousand.
Could not a judge, in these instances, be convinced that the robocalls affected the result of the election?
Nipissing - Timiskaming
Winner: Jay Aspin (Conservative); Runner-up: Anthony Rota (Liberal); Margin of Victory: 18 votes
Voters received calls saying their polling stations had changed and also got late night calls from callers pretending to be Liberals.
In the 2006 and 2008 elections Rota handily beat out his right leaning competitors by approximately 5,000 votes.
Depending on who voters blame for "dirty tricks" this long-time Liberal riding would likely go back to the Liberals.
Mississauga East--Cooksville
Winner: Wladyslaw Lizon (Conservative); Runner-up: Peter Fonseca (Liberal); Margin of Victory: 676 votes
Voters in this riding have complained to Elections Canada about robocalls and late-night live callers impersonating Liberals and asking for donations.
This riding is another one that had perennially voted Liberal; its been represented by a Grit since the 1988 election.
Winnipeg South Centre
Winner: Joyce Bateman (Conservative); Runner-up: Anita Neville (Liberal); Margin of Victory: 722 votes
Voters in Winnipeg South Centre have complained about receiving robocalls alerting them that their polling stations had been changed.
Neville was first elected to Parliament in 2000, and was preceded by former Cabinet Minister and Liberal stalwart Lloyd Axworthy.
Willowdale
Winner: Chungsen Leung (Conservative); Runner-up: Martha Hall Findlay (Liberal); Margin of Victory: 932 votes
According to Liberal incumbent Martha Hall Findlay, voters heard from robocallers and live callers impersonating Liberals, saying their polling stations had changed and calling at all hours. According to the Globe and Mail, a complaint has been filed with Elections Canada.
Willowdale had been painted Liberal red in every election from 1988 up until 2011.
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