Thornhill vote recount unnecessary expense: MPP

Torontosun.com
June 16, 2014
By Antonella Artuso

A judicial recount in the provincial riding of Thornhill would be an unnecessary expense for taxpayers, PC MPP Gila Martow says.

Appearing at a PC caucus meeting Monday, Martow said her Liberal opponent, Sandra Yeung Racco, is entitled to a recount.

“But it’s not going to change the outcome of the election,” Martow said. “I think that the taxpayers should be put front and centre in all of this, not people’s political aspirations.”

Racco was declared the winner by a slim margin of 85 votes Thursday in an unofficial tally of ballots.

Elections Ontario announced Friday that a an error in tabulating the results had been made, and that Martow actually came out on top.

“When it’s a close race don’t celebrate or accept defeat until those verifications come through,” Martow advised.

The Racco campaign issued a statement Friday announcing that it would seek a judicial recount because it was alarmed at the number of clerical errors that led to the decision to hand Martow the victory.

A spokesman for Racco could not be reached Monday to confirm that an official request had been submitted for a judicial recount.