Thornhill candidates treading carefully following election error
Yeung Racco's husband blames Elections Ontario

YorkRegion.com
June 16, 2014
By Simone Joseph

Gila Martow says if she were in Sandra Yeung Racco’s position, she would not ask for a judicial recount.

“If we draw out the process, there will be a media circus and we would waste valuable resources. It shows a lack of respect for political resources and taxpayers,” Martow said earlier today. “If there were improprieties in Yeung Racco’s favour, what will opening ballots show? More impropriety and more in their favour?” she said.

“I was never contemplating a recount.”

On Thursday night, Yeung Racco, the Liberal candidate for Thornhill, was declared the winner by 85 votes.

A data entry error was discovered during the official tabulation by Elections Ontario, Friday.

Elections Ontario states an application for a judicial recount automatically occurs when any race is closer than 25 ballots. However, it also states a judicial recount can be requested by a candidate, or an elector, if the results are close.

Yeung Racco’s team said Saturday afternoon that they would seek a judicial recount, expressing alarm at data inaccuracies in 13 polls.

Yeung Racco also lost the Thornhill riding in a byelection Feb. 13, when Martow was declared the winner and became Thornhill's MPP.

For Martow, the result of Thursday's elections conjures up memories of the 2006 Vaughan mayoral race, decided by fewer than 100 votes between candidates Linda Jackson and Michael DiBiase.

“It was a long, drawn-out recount process. It wasn’t great for Vaughan,” Martow said.

Martow called a judicial recount over 85 votes “a stretch”.

“Unfortunately, there is no indication it will change the outcome of the election. It costs money on all sides,” she said.

Yeung Racco is not speaking to the media today and instead is devoting her time to her role as Vaughan councillor, said her husband Mario Racco.

“She is not available on this matter. We are trying to keep her out of this,” Racco said. “We want her to concentrate on her job as a councillor. She wants to move on. That’s what we are trying to do,” asking the media to “give her some breathing space”.

But Racco believes the judge will want to do the recount as soon as possible, which can be done in a matter of days.

“The people of Thornhill want to know who will represent them,” Racco said. “It” (the recount) can be done and should be done,” he said.

The mistake made by Elections Ontario was unnecessary, Racco said.

“It shouldn’t happen, it should never happen. Everybody felt quite bad for everyone. That’s emotional. People spent hours and days working for the cause. It leaves a terrible experience in everyone’s mind. It is not fair for anyone. I hope some improvements are made to make the system better.”

Martow’s campaign manager, Haley Gotfrid, warned her on election night that there may not be a winner or loser declared that night. Gotfrid advised Martow to wait for the verification process the next day.

So, that night, Martow did not consider herself defeated. She chose her words carefully.

“Rumours are swirling around the Liberal camp suggesting monkey business,” she said. However, her Conservative campaign believes it was just human error or data error.

“Elections Ontario did their job. I compliment them on the fact that they caught the error. I am accepting that it was an unintentional error,” Martow said.

Her next step will be setting up meetings with constituents, though she points out she will introduce herself as MPP-elect until she is sworn in.

Martow points out that since voters chose her in the byelection three months ago, it is not such a stretch that they would chose her in this election.

“I want everyone to feel comfortable, including Sandra. She has to do what is necessary to feel comfortable and I respect that,” she said.