Ontario Liberal leadership hopeful Nate Erskine–Smith has filed a formal notice of appeal over this past weekend's Scarborough Southwest nomination meeting, releasing a blistering email to supporters alleging widespread irregularities, vote buying, and a complete breakdown of democratic controls inside the party.
The email points the finger directly at the campaign of rival candidate Ahsanul Hafiz, claiming an “organized effort” to direct, monitor, and pressure voters from the moment they entered the polling station until after they cast their ballots.
“We saw many, many cases of people hanging around watchfully in the voting area, telling voters explicitly what they should do,” Erskine–Smith wrote. “Multiple people took calls on speakerphone or video so they could get instructions in the voting booth, while marking their ballots.”
Perhaps most damning, the email alleges “countless cases” of individuals photographing their ballots—a practice party officials acknowledged they had seen throughout the day. “In most of the world,” Erskine–Smith noted, “this would be considered clear evidence of vote buying.”
But the allegations don't stop there. The Toronto-area MP and candidate says the Ontario Liberal Party (OLP) broke its own ID rules, accepting refugee claimant documents, unsigned apartment leases (including two that listed voters under 18), digital report cards, Amazon orders, and in at least one case, a visitor's visa and foreign passport.
“Among the large number of temporary residents who voted, many could not initially state their address when asked,” he wrote.
By the final two hours of voting, Erskine–Smith claims the party had “lost control of the voting process nearly entirely.” His team witnessed voters returning to the credentials line after already casting ballots, people lingering in restricted areas, and entrants coming through the exit door.
The email also highlights that hundreds of Ontario Liberal voters and citizens were struck from the list before the vote, while Mr. Hafiz's campaign manager—Ted Lojko, the same operative behind Han Dong's 2019 nomination—worked with “other party establishment” to get out hundreds of temporary residents to “save the party.”
Ironically, Erskine–Smith says he does not want the nomination for himself. Instead, he is demanding a full investigation, a new nomination meeting or an appointed candidate, and sweeping reforms—including limiting voter eligibility to citizens and permanent residents.
“With the party unable to enforce basic rules central to the democratic process, such as ballot secrecy, and with 34 extra unexplained ballots, we need Elections Ontario to be tasked with managing nomination processes,” he wrote. “We deserve truth and accountability.”
Interim Liberal leader John Fraser dismissed Erskine–Smith's allegations as “unsubstantiated” and defended the nomination process. Whether Elections Ontario will step in remains an open question, but Erskine-Smith is betting that his team's evidence is too detailed to ignore.
“The party needs saving all right,” Erskine–Smith concluded. “And to start, it needs to get to the bottom of what took place.”
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