In-person ballots have been collected and counted, but another process continues for Elections Canada.
Starting today (Sept. 21), the non-partisan organization is tallying the mail-in kits sent by voters across the country who chose the special ballot system.
This includes Port Moody-Coquitlam which, as of 10:45 p.m. last night, (Sept. 20), has sent back 4,685 kits from eligible voters aged 18 and older, either returned by mail or dropped off at a designated polling station.
The deadline to submit your kit on election day was 7 p.m.
The Canadian Press is projecting Bonita Zarrillo to win and flip the riding to orange for the NDP, who held control for four consecutive terms prior to 2019.
As of this publication, the Coquitlam city councillor holds 17,521 ballots in her favour — this is 2,096 votes ahead of Conservative incumbent Nelly Shin.
The current standings in Port Moody-Coquitlam are as follows. There have been 205 of 206 polling stations reported to Elections Canada with a voter turnout of 56.9 per cent or 47,708 eligible votes cast:
- Bonita Zarrillo (NDP) = 36.7 per cent
- Nelly Shin (Conservative) = 32.3 per cent
- Will Davis (Liberal) = 27.2 per cent
- Desta McPherson (PPC) = 3.5 per cent
- Roland Verrier (Marxist-Leninist) = 0.2 per cent
Port Moody-Coquitlam combined for a 22 per cent increase this year from advance voting between Sept. 10 and 13 with 17,460 eligible residents casting their ballot early. There were 14,318 advance voters in the riding in 2019.
The Tri-Cities combined for a 25 per cent increase in advance voting participation this year compared to the 2019 federal election.
In Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, Liberal incumbent Ron McKinnon has also been projected by The Canadian Press to win a third consecutive term as MP.
Elections Canada says there are currently 4,694 mail-in ballots set to be counted, which won't likely change the outcome of this particular riding.
McKinnon currently holds 19,724 votes in his favour — this is 4,038 votes ahead of Conservative candidate Katerina Anastasiadis.
The current standings are as follows. There have been 219 of 220 polling stations reported to Elections Canada with a voter turnout of 54.99 per cent or 51,383 votes:
- Ron McKinnon (Liberal) = 38.4 per cent
- Katerina Anastasiadis (Conservative) = 30.5 per cent
- Laura Dupont (NDP) = 26.8 per cent
- Kimberly Brundell (PPC) = 4.3 per cent
During the advance voting process, 18,325 eligible residents cast early their ballots between Sept. 10 and 13 — a 28 per cent uptick compared to 14,318 two years ago.
McKinnon will serve alongside Justin Trudeau, who's projected to win another minority government and a third term as prime minister.
As of this publication, The Canadian Press is currently projecting 158 seats for the Liberals (170 was needed for a majority), 119 for the Conservatives, 34 for the Bloc Québécois, 25 for the NDP and two for the Greens.
