In Canada’s 2025 federal election, while some ridings were comfortably won by thousands of votes, others came down to nail-biting margins—showcasing just how crucial every single vote can be.
As of Tuesday evening, at least nine ridings across the country were decided by fewer than 500 ballots. Among them, two were separated by less than 40 votes—making them the tightest contests of the night. These razor-thin results could still change as the final ballots are counted, and several are expected to undergo judicial recounts.
In the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of Terra Nova–The Peninsulas, Liberal Anthony Germain narrowly edged out his Conservative rival Jonathan Rowe by just 12 votes, making it the closest race in the country. A judicial recount is anticipated.
Quebec’s Terrebonne riding saw another cliffhanger finish, with Liberal Tatiana Auguste unseating Bloc Québécois incumbent Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné by only 35 votes. A recount is expected here as well.
Up north in Nunavut, NDP incumbent Lori Idlout retained her seat in a competitive three-way race, beating Liberal candidate Kilikvak Kabloona by just 77 votes. The margin is slim enough to likely trigger a recount.
In Ontario’s Windsor–Tecumseh–Lakeshore, Conservative Kathy Borrelli defeated Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk by 233 votes, flipping the riding to the Conservatives.
The battle for Milton East–Halton Hills South also swung to the Conservatives, with Parm Gill returning to federal politics after beating Liberal Kristina Tesser Derksen by 298 votes. Gill previously served as an MP and was most recently an MPP until 2024.
In Vancouver Kingsway, B.C., NDP MP Don Davies narrowly fended off Liberal challenger Amy Gill, securing his seat by 310 votes.
Brampton Centre saw a new face emerge, as Liberal Amandeep Sodhi, one of Parliament’s youngest new MPs, held off Conservative contender Taran Chahal by 340 votes.
Kitchener Centre delivered a blow to the Green Party, reducing them from two seats to one. Conservative Kelly DeRidder defeated Green incumbent Mike Morrice by a margin of 358 votes.
In Miramichi–Grand Lake, New Brunswick, Conservative Mike Dawson maintained control of the seat with 394 more votes than Liberal Lisa Harris.
Such narrow results highlight the importance of every single vote—and why judicial recounts are a key part of ensuring electoral fairness. A judicial recount is triggered automatically when the margin of victory is less than one one-thousandth of total votes cast in a riding. In other cases, recounts may be requested in the event of irregularities or clerical errors.