Winnipeg South Centre by-election to have most candidates in Canadian history
The upcoming Winnipeg South Centre by-election will have the largest number of candidates in Canadian election history, as part of an effort to point out the flaws in our electoral system.
A Winnipeg-based electoral reform group orchestrated the unprecedented number of candidates.
"I think this is a great way to get more of a diverse, disengaged population to be more engaged," said independent candidate Christopher Clacio.
A total of 46 candidates are running for the federal seat. Clacio is among the many independent candidates filling out the by-election ballots alongside the Conservative, Green, Liberal, and NDP parties.
Like many of the registered independents, Clacio does not live in the riding. Some of the candidates don't even live in Manitoba. Under the Elections Act, anyone can run as a candidate in any riding in Canada, regardless of where they actually live.
It's an aspect of the elections system being exploited by The Longest Ballot Committee, a voter activist group - with organizers based in Winnipeg - that aims to satirize the voting process.
The purpose of the stunt is to elevate the issue of electoral reform, while highlighting deficiencies in Canada's current "first past the post" voting system.
"If you have a very close race and let's say the winner wins by a few hundred votes. He goes on to represent that riding as if 100 per cent of the riding voted for him or her," said Glen MacDonald, another independent candidate who lives in Toronto.
MacDonald believes if that result happens in too many ridings, it can lead to a negative, cascading effect that distorts representation in Ottawa.
"This is not about promoting one party over another," he said. "What this is about is promoting democracy and making sure we have accurate representation in this country."
The previous record for most candidates in Canada was during a 2022 Ontario election. At that time, Elections Canada created a special, two-column ballot which will also be used in the Winnipeg South Centre by-election.
Despite the high number of candidates, pollsters say the seat formerly held by the late Jim Carr will likely go to the Liberal candidate.
"Ben Carr has his father's last name of course because his father was well known and a cabinet minister," said Curtis Brown with Probe Research. "And it has a tradition for voting for a long time for Liberals."
Brown added that a strong show of NDP support in the riding could splinter the vote, lowering the chances of a Liberal win.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.