Denise Peterson-Rafuse

Denise Peterson-Rafuse, the NDP candidate in the Chester–St. Margaret’s riding, has filed for a recount.

Peterson-Rafuse, the incumbent, lost to Liberal challenger Hugh MacKay by just 90 votes, 3112 to 3022 total votes. PC candidate Julie Chiasson received 2,229 votes, and Green candidate Harry Ward received 413 votes. Thirty-four ballots were rejected.

Chester–St. Margaret’s was one of the closest ridings in the election. At the end of the evening, precinct vote counts gave Peterson-Rafuse the edge by 46 votes, 2,800 to 2,754. But then the votes cast out of district gave MacKay the victory.

About nine percent of all votes in the Chester–St. Margaret’s election were cast out of district.

Justice James Chipman will oversee the recount on Monday, June 12, at 9:30am.

Asked for comment, Peterson-Rafuse said she’d be ready to speak this afternoon. We’ll update this post at that time.

Tim Bousquet is the editor and publisher of the Halifax Examiner. Twitter @Tim_Bousquet Mastodon

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    1. Heck – the Liberals’ Bill Horne defeated the Tories’ Dan McNaughton in Waverley-Fall River Beaverbank by only 66 votes.

      I hope the Tories howling at the gates of Elections NS…