With a potential majority government at stake for Mark Carney's Liberal Party, early voting has commenced for a crucial byelection in two Toronto ridings: Scarborough-Southwest and University-Rosedale. The advance voting period started on Friday, April 3, and will continue through the long weekend, with polls open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Monday, April 6. Additionally, advance voting at Elections Canada offices will remain open until Tuesday evening.
The Scarborough-Southwest riding became vacant when former MP Bill Blair resigned in February to assume the position of Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the University-Rosedale seat opened up after Chrystia Freeland, another prominent Liberal MP, stepped down in January to take on new roles as an adviser to Ukraine and CEO of the Rhodes Trust at Oxford University.
In addition to the Toronto byelections, Terrebonne, Quebec, is also preparing for a byelection due to complications arising from a mail-in ballot during the last election cycle. Initially, Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste was declared the winner; however, after a validation process, the result shifted in favor of Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné. A judicial recount on May 10 revealed that the Liberals had actually received one more vote than Sinclair-Desgagné.
Sinclair-Desgagné subsequently challenged the election results after a supporter claimed she had attempted to vote by mail using a special ballot that was never counted. On February 13, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sinclair-Desgagné, invalidating the previous election results.
The significance of the upcoming elections cannot be understated, particularly for the Liberal Party, which has undergone multiple floor-crossings in recent months. The party stands to gain a majority if it wins at least two of the three ridings currently up for contestation. Both Toronto constituencies have historically been strongholds for the Liberals, further heightening the stakes for this byelection.
The election day is set for April 13, which will serve as a critical moment for the Liberal Party's ambitions in the Canadian political landscape.
