TORONTO -- Voters in two Toronto byelections are heading to the polls today in the first test of Canadians’ faith in the federal government since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Toronto Centre, voters are choosing an MP to replace Bill Morneau, who stepped down as finance minister and as an MP amid the WE charity scandal this past summer.
In York Centre, voters are looking for a replacement for Michael Levitt, who stepped down earlier this year to spend more time with his family.
With occasional exceptions, both ridings tend to be Liberal strongholds.
In Toronto Centre, a diverse riding in the heart of downtown Toronto, broadcaster Marci Ien is running for the Liberals.
Newly minted Green Party Leader Annamie Paul, is also vying for the seat. Paul had called for the by election to be postponed, saying she didn't think the conditions were safe for an election.
Activist Brian Chang is running for the NDP and Benjamin Gauri Sharma is running for the Conservative Party.
Community activist Ya'ara Saks is carrying the banner for the Liberals in the North York riding of York Centre. She is facing People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier, a former federal cabinet minister under Stephen Harper. Businessman and pastor Julius Tiangson is running for the Conservatives, educator Andrea Vásquez Jiménez is in the running for the NDP, and entrepreneur Sasha Zavarella is running for the Green Party.
A full list of Toronto Centre candidates can be found here. A full list of York Centre candidates can be found here.
Tensions high in Ottawa
The byelections come at a moment of heightened tensions in Ottawa. The opposition Conservatives have sought to keep the WE charity scandal alive with a committee to investigate corruption. The Liberals threatened to make the vote on the committee a confidence issue, threatening to plunge the country into an election.
The Greens, independant MPs and the NDP ultimately sided with the Liberals, with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh saying that he would deny Justin Trudeau the election that he sought.
While the move by the Liberals appeared to have worked, it was a dangerous gamble. Elections Canada has said that it will not be ready to hold a general election with full health safety measures in place before April. However they have said that they will run an election with the resources they have if they are forced to do so.
A strong win for the Liberals could signal that voters have faith in the way that Justin Trudeau and his party have handled the COVID-19 crisis so far. A close call or a loss could demonstrate that the Liberals are on thin ice not only with the opposition parties, but with the electorate as well and that an election could come at any moment.
Safety measures in place
The by-elections are also serving as something of a rehearsal for a possible general election.
Elections Canada has implemented a number of health safety measures, such as distancing, and offering voters single use pencils and face masks.
Elections Canada has said they plan on delivering a safe voting experience, but has advised voters that they may experience longer waits outside polling stations due to distancing measures inside the buildings.
Advance voter turnout lower
Traditionally voter turnout in byelections tends to be lower than in general elections and that trend appears to have held.
Numbers released by Elections Canada last week showed that just 7,960 people voted in advance polls in Toronto Centre. That compares to more than 13,000 who made use of advanced polls in the riding in the general election last year.
In York Centre, about 6,300 people voted in advance polls compared to roughly 9,800 in last year’s election.
While it was thought there might be a flood of mail-in ballot requests from people wanting to avoid physical polling stations, Elections Canada said they received fewer than 700 mail-in ballot requests — 362 in Toronto Centre and 324 in York Centre. Voters had until Oct. 20 to request the mail-in kits.
If you’re voting today, Click here to see where and how to cast your ballot.
