A political scientist at Memorial University is bewildered as to why Elections NL would stand in the way of a judicial recount in St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi.
NDP Leader Alison Coffin is challenging her loss to Liberal John Abbott by 53 votes. The margin for an automatic recount has to be within 10 votes so Coffin is appealing directly to the Supreme Court.
Elections NL intends to counter some of her arguments with the next hearing set for May 10.
Kelly Blidook is puzzled as to why Elections NL would not want a recount.
He says we’re going to hear about this from the court in another month, so he doesn’t see the value in that, or why they are holding out on this. Blidook says Abbott cannot take his seat until his election is confirmed, presuming that is the eventual outcome.
Two other defeated candidates—Jim Lester in Mount Pearl North and Sheila Fitzgerald on the Northern Peninsula —are also challenging the election outcome.
