ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -- Newfoundland and Labrador NDP Leader Alison Coffin says her 53-vote loss in Saturday's provincial election is symbolic of a vote plagued with irregularities and unanswered questions.
Coffin said in an interview today the narrow loss stings, but said a judicial recount could at least help answer some of those outstanding questions.
Last week, news broke that the NDP's scrutineer had concerns about an "unprecedented" number of spoiled ballots, many of which were being dismissed for questionable reasons.
Coffin stopped short of saying her party will ask for a judicial recount in her St. John's East-Quidi Vidi district, adding that she still has to consult the rest of the party.
But she says a judicial recount would shed some light on how the mostly mail-in ballots were handled and counted.
Elections NL released preliminary results in Newfoundland and Labrador's pandemic-delayed election on Saturday, showing a 22-seat majority win for Andrew Furey's Liberals and a loss for both Coffin and Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie in their respective districts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2021.
