Figures!

[bjarvis]

I follow Canadian elections like some people follow baseball or football.

This week was a double-header: provincial elections in Newfoundland & Labrador Monday and Ontario tonight. Woo hoo!

The numbers were streaming in after the polls closed at 9 PM and TVOntario had continuous coverage. The Liberals appear to be re-elected with another large majority. The Conservative leader was losing in his own riding. But just as they were covering my parents' area --the riding of Temiskaming-Cochrane in north-eastern Ontario-- longtime Liberal MPP Jim Ramsay was 500 votes behind the NDP candidate, it happened: we lost the satellite signal. DAMN!

The universe has a twisted sense of humour.

Comments

[madknits.livejournal.com]

What the hell is that icon supposed to be? It looks like a pickle.

Oh, and I'm willing to bet my ex in Vancouver didn't vote.

[bearfinch.livejournal.com]

The CBC website has coverage on each riding....

http://www.cbc.ca/ontariovotes2007/riding/044

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

and John Tory, conservative leader, has definitely lost (and has conceded) his own seat to Kathleen Wynn, the incumbent minister of education. She got nearly 50% of the votes. First time in 17y that a [major] party leader hasn't been elected. (some might say that running against a sitting cabinet minister was close to hubris. He was in the safe-as-houses riding of Dufferin-Grey, but moved to Don Valley West)

Looks like an increased majority at the moment.

From the Elections Ontario site, (just below the map, go to the "select electoral district" pull-down box)

TIMISKAMING--COCHRANE as of 23:52
CANDIDATE - PARTY - VOTES - POP. VOTES

RAMSAY, DAVID - OLP - 9,439 - 42.4%
VANTHOF, JOHN - NDP - 9,268 - 41.7%
SHEARER, DOUG - PCP - 2,866 - 12.9%
EAST, PATRICK - GPO - 667 - 3.0%
- - 99 polls of 102 reporting

Toronto Centre, your previous constituency, re-elected George Smitherman (L), deputy premier, minister of health and long-term care, and gay and married to a man. no surprise in the electoral result.

something else you might try for broadcast is one of the CBC Radio 1 feeds in future (in this case, choose the Sudbury feed).

the other interesting story, I think, is the Green party - 8.2% of popular vote, up from 2.5% in the last general election.

ah, democracy in action! me, I voted ten days ago - got my friend John's proxy (he's in hospital), had to take it to the returning office to register the proxy, and just cast all the ballots while I was there.

Timiskaming Cochrane LIB by 1032 votes

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

half an hour after my previous post, the CBC website tells me that all 210 polls give the Liberal David Ramsay victory in Timiskaming Cochrane, 42.9% of the vote to 40.5% for the NDP candidate.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Is a "riding" in Canada equivalent to a district, county or precinct in the states? I've not heard the term before, but like it very much.