Advance surveys suggested the race is tight between the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois, but the NDP is also hopeful it can win.
The polls have closed and votes are being counted in Montreal’s LaSalle–Émard–Verdun riding, in one of two crucial federal byelections that are being closely watched by political parties.
The seat opened up when former justice minister David Lametti left politics.
Polls suggest the race is tight between the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois, but the NDP is also hopeful it can win.
At 11:08 p.m., with 14 of 187 polls reporting, Bloc Québécois candidate Louis-Philippe Sauvé had a slight lead, with 30.2 per cent (842 votes). The NDP’s Craig Sauvé was second at 28.1 per cent (803 votes), with the Liberals’ Laura Palestini close behind at second with 27.7 per cent (791 votes). The Conservatives’ Louis Ialenti had 9.3 per cent (267 votes).
Meanwhile, the first 1,712 ballots reported by Elections Canada in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona showed 50.3 per cent of votes going to the NDP and 41.1 per cent to the Conservatives.
The vast majority of votes have yet to be counted in both ridings.
While byelections aren’t usually credited with much significance on Parliament Hill, the votes in Montreal and Winnipeg are being treated as bellwethers of the political shifts happening in Canada.
By 10 p.m., the Liberal headquarters in Montreal were crowded as people waited for Palestini to arrive.
Liberal ministers have visited the area several times as the party worked hard to keep the riding, which it has held for decades.
Liberal volunteers trickled into Dilallo Burger, a Ville-Émard institution dating back to 1929, ahead of the polls closing. On the sidewalk outside, Liam Olsen, a volunteer with the Young Liberals of Canada, said he was feeling optimistic.
He’d travelled to Montreal from Ottawa to knock on doors on byelection day.
“It’s going to be a close one,” he said. “Unpredictable things can happen. But definitely good vibes at the doors today.”
Outside the headquarters of the Bloc Québécois in Verdun, volunteer Sarah Plante, 21, said she was feeling similarly confident.
A Liberal victory would prove the Bloc has a place in Montreal and would send a “strong message” to the federal government that the party represents the interests of all Quebecers, she said.
The stakes are particularly high for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who faced calls for his resignation in June when the Conservatives took over a Liberal stronghold seat in a Toronto byelection.
The loss sent shock waves through the governing party as the Liberals were faced with the stark reality of their plummeting poll numbers.
C.B. Singh, an 85-year-old Montrealer who has been volunteering for the Liberals since Pierre Elliott Trudeau was prime minister, said he still supports the younger Trudeau.
“I know his father, so I’m for him,” he said. “He is still popular among the immigrants.”
Some strategists have suggested Jagmeet Singh’s leadership could come under similar scrutiny if the NDP fails to hold on to the Winnipeg seat.
Elections Canada warned on social media Monday evening that the results in the Montreal riding could take longer than usual to be counted because of the record number of candidates.
“Results will be available tonight or early tomorrow. Thank you for your patience,” Elections Canada said on X.