One week left to cast ballots for Conservative leadership

Aug 15, 2020 | 9:24 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB. — There is only one week left to cast ballots in the Conservative Party’s leadership race to replace Andrew Scheer.

The COVID-19-impacted race was originally set to have its convention in Toronto where a new leader of the opposition party would have been picked in June. Once the pandemic struck, plans changed to a mail-in ballot.

Those mail-in ballots sent to Conservative members will now need to be received by party officials no later than Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. Eastern.

The vote will be based on a preferential ballot system which will see the four candidates vying for the leadership – Peter MacKay, Erin O’Toole, Leslyn Lewis and Derek Sloan – ranked one to four in preference.

Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner MP Glen Motz says local voters will need to get their ballots in as soon as possible if they are to be received in time to count.

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Motz says his ballot has been cast for Lewis, a Toronto-based lawyer widely seen as running third in the race.

And, according to Motz, not necessarily a longshot in a preferential ballot system that could see Lewis’ path to winning the leadership lie with the second-place votes of front-runners Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole.

“(Lewis) is a fresh voice and a fresh face to the Canadian political scene and, as I’m looking at things now – I’ve talked to her camp and you see some of the polls – she’s not as distant as people believe,” said Motz.

Motz says the earliest the results of the race will be known is late on the evening of Aug. 23 but more likely early the following week.

by Alex McCuaig