Conservative Tim Uppal granted recount in Edmonton riding

Tim Uppal responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Tuesday April 16, 2013. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

An Alberta judge has ordered a recount in the riding of Edmonton Mill Woods, where unofficial results showed Conservative Tim Uppal lost to Liberal Amarjeet Sohi by 80 votes.

Justice Brian R. Burrows wrote Friday that Uppal’s request for a recount had been granted, “upon being satisfied that the affidavits of credible witnesses establish on the balance of probabilities that one or more deputy returning officers incorrectly counted or rejected ballots, or wrote an incorrect number on the statement of the vote for the votes cast for a candidate.”

Lawyer Jonathan Denis said the judge accepted 18 affidavits citing evidence of alleged improper tallying and counting.

The recount is scheduled to begin Tuesday at the offices of the returning officer for the riding.

Unofficial results from Monday night showed Sohi got 20,399 votes, Uppal got 20,319 and NDP candidate Jasvir Deol was far behind with 6,326 votes.

Recounts occur automatically when the winner and runner-up are separated by less than one one-thousandth of the total votes cast – 49 votes or fewer in this case. However, anyone can request a recount from a judge within four days of the result, including a losing candidate.

Uppal has served as MP for Edmonton—Sherwood Park since 2008, and held the cabinet portfolios of Minister of State (Multiculturalism) and Minister of State Democratic Reform.