P.E.I. Green Party candidate unofficially wins Borden-Kinkora byelection

Matt MacFarlane, P.E.I. Green party candidate, is pictured. (Source: Facebook/mattmacfarlanegreenparty)

The Green Party of Prince Edward Island has unofficially gained a new seat in the provincial legislature.

According to Elections PEI, Matt MacFarlane is the unofficial winner of the District 19 byelection.

MacFarlane won with 1,226 votes, a news release says. He will fill the seat for the Borden-Kinkora district.

He will replace Progressive Conservative MLA Jamie Fox, who resigned from the position in November 2023 to run for the party in the next federal election.

By winning the Borden-Kinkora district, the Green Party now has three seats, tying the Liberal Party, which is the current official opposition.

Voting concluded Wednesday at 7 p.m. Overall, 2,507 voters turned out, representing nearly 59 per cent of registered electors, says Elections PEI. Unofficial results are posted on Election PEI’s website.

“It was a challenging by-election, not knowing how the winter weather would affect any voting days,” says P.E.I.'s Chief Electoral Officer Tim Garrity.

However, Garrity says postponing the byelection was necessary for the safety of voters, and Elections PEI was prepared for it.

There were 49 mail-in ballot applications, some from across Canada and internationally. Of those, 45 were returned for the count, the release says.

“I’m thankful for our election workers getting through the challenges of the storm and I’m also thankful for the electors of District 19 for your patience and diligence in casting your vote in this by-election,” says Garrity.

For more Prince Edward Island news visit our dedicated provincial page.