By Angela Brown

Byelection results by the numbers

Dec 12, 2017 | 11:00 AM

The Battlefords-Lloydminster byelection final results Monday night showed a commanding win for Conservative candidate Rosemarie Falk, but a very low voter turnout.

From the total 138 polls reported, Falk claimed 8,965 votes or 69.6 per cent of the vote. NDP candidate Matt Fedler came in second with 1,698 votes or 13.2 per cent. Liberal candidate Larry Ingram was third with 1,345 votes or 10.4 per cent. Independent candidate Ken Finlayson followed with 681 votes or 5.3 per cent, and Green Party candidate Yvonne Potter-Pihach trailed the pack with 200 votes or 1.6 per cent of the vote.

Elections Canada spokesperson John Enright said the final counts are still being confirmed before the official results will be released.

“There is a validation process that goes on over the next few days in the Returning Officer’s office,” Enright said. “Once they are validated that list will update. It’s not going to change significantly, but it might shift a little bit depending on if they catch any math errors on the polling night results.”  

Turnout

Fundraiser for Humane Society

Guitars and Cars Show 'n Shine to include live music

7h ago

Joins defending-champion, Mariners

North Stars' Burgeson commits to Vancouver Island University

8h ago

RCMP investigation

Preliminary hearing for accused in Cope death to start this week

12h ago

A total of 12,889 votes came in or 27.05 per cent of 47,651 registered electors, but that number does not include electors who registered on Election Day.

Enright said it’s not possible to compare a byelection’s numbers to a regular election outcome when looking at voter participation since different factors can be involved.

“Byelections are really no indication of turnout,” he said. “You can’t compare the last general election to a byelection.”

He added it’s also difficult to compare two separate byelections, adding “it all depends on the local interest. That’s generated by the political side of everything, the public discourse.”  

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW