Canada’s ruling Liberal Party fell three seats short of a parliamentary majority after election recounts concluded Friday, forcing Prime Minister Mark Carney to govern with a minority.
The Liberals won 169 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons, three shy of the 172 needed for a majority. The Conservatives took 144 seats.
Judicial recounts in four ridings stretched over several weeks due to extremely close margins. The process ultimately gave Conservatives two additional seats.
Conservative Jonathan Rowe emerged victorious in Terra Nova-The Peninsulas, Newfoundland, defeating Liberal Anthony Germain by a 12-vote margin. Initial election night results had shown Germain with a 12-vote lead.
In Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore, Ontario, Conservative Kathy Borrelli prevailed over her Liberal opponent by just four votes.
The Liberals held onto Milton East-Halton Hills South in Ontario and Terrebonne in Quebec, where Liberal Tatiana Auguste won by a single vote.
Canadian law requires judicial recounts when candidates win by less than 0.1% of total votes. Judges oversee the process with candidate representatives present.
The Terra Nova recount required examination of approximately 1,000 contested ballots, with Elections Canada ultimately rejecting 819 of them.
The Bloc Québécois has indicated it may contest the Terrebonne outcome in court, citing concerns about a mail-in ballot that postal services returned due to an incorrect address.
Related: By Single Vote Margin, Liberals Claim Key Quebec Riding
Carney became prime minister in March after winning the Liberal leadership following Justin Trudeau’s resignation. He had never held elected office before.
The minority government means Carney needs opposition support to pass legislation.
The Bloc Québécois holds 22 seats, the New Democratic Party has seven, and the Green Party has one.
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