“I think a lot of people who were going to vote for Patrick Brown are going to end up opting out,” Lori Turnbull, a political analyst and professor of political science at Dalhousie University, told CTV News Channel Saturday night. “But it provides an opportunity for people like Jean Cherest or people like Scott Aitchineon, who identify with a more centrist, moderate side of conservatism in Canada, to say, ‘Okay, look — some of the people who wanted to support Patrick Brown may find a reason to support me.” Patrick Brown was recently kicked out of the race after allegations he broke funding rules. His name, however, is still on the current ballot, raising questions about the procedures for verifying votes counted for candidates who have been disqualified from the races. “My understanding at this point is that if there are ballots for Patrick Brown, they will be rejected and counted as a second preference if the person votes against the ballot,” Turnbull explained. “But that would be an interesting thing to see: to what extent do people actually state their preferences on the ballot? Not just for Patrick Brown, but for anyone.” But the coming months, he said, may involve some political adjustments in the party. “One of the conversations now is, are they going to have another conversation to give an opportunity about what people want to do in their final decision?” Turnbull said. “It’s complicated, because most people have already decided who they want to vote for at this point.” Ballots for the leadership election have already begun to be sent to members. The new captain will be announced on September 10. Watch the full video with Lori Turnbull at the top of this article.
