Pierre Poilievre to face 81 other candidates in Ottawa-area riding

A protest group called the Longest Ballot Committee has convinced dozens of candidates to register to run as Independents in the Ontario riding of Carleton.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will seek re-election against 81 other candidates in his Ottawa-area riding — while Liberal Leader Mark Carney is running for the first time against four challengers in Nepean.

A protest group called the Longest Ballot Committee has convinced dozens of candidates to register to run as Independents in the Ontario riding of Carleton, where Poilievre is the incumbent seeking re-election, in addition to the usual main party candidates.

The protest group opposes the first-past-the-post voting system and is seeking to build support for electoral reform.

The group has fielded long lists of candidates in prominent federal byelections in recent years, inflating the physical size of ballots and delaying the counts.

A representative from the protest group pledged to field candidates against Liberal incumbent Chrystia Freeland in her University—Rosedale riding in Toronto — a threat that has not materialized as she only faces five challengers.

Candidates across Canada had until 2 p.m. Monday to submit their nomination papers — confirming their names on the ballots for April 28 — and until 5 p.m. to decide to withdraw their candidacy.

The top three federal party leaders will all be in Western Canada on Tuesday.

Poilievre is scheduled to hold a press conference in Edmonton at 8:30 a.m. local time before he makes his way to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., for a rally in the evening.