National Post – Emily Senger

Markham Progressive Conservative Party leadership hopeful Randy Hillier has been dropped from the race after he came fourth in the first round of ballot counting at the PC Leadership Convention in Markham, Ontario today. After the first count, which was released late this morning, Tim Hudak is in first place with about 35 per cent of votes, followed by Frank Klees, with Christine Elliott in third.

No candidate has yet to get the more than 50 per cent of votes needed to become the new leader. PC Party members voted on either Sunday or Thursday in their home ridings and were asked to rank the candidates in first, second and third place. Second-place ballots will now be counted, with the final result announced later this afternoon.

Until this morning, the results of the Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership race were guarded under lock and key, hundreds of stuffed ballot boxes protected by a security guard 24-hours-a-day in an undisclosed location.

Today, on the second day of the PC Leadership Convention, the taped-shut boxes will be opened in the Hilton Suites in Markham, where the ballots will be tallied and one of the four leadership candidates will begin preparing the PC Party for the 2011 election.

Transporting the ballot boxes is new in this election, said PC Party president Ken Zeise.

“Last time, trying to maintain communication with 107 ridings was difficult,” Mr. Zeise said.

Party members voted either on Thursday or this past Sunday, using a preferential ballot where they were asked to rank their top three candidates in order. A candidate needs more than 50% to win. If no candidate wins on first-place ballots, the candidate with the fewest first-place ballots will be dropped, and counters will move to second-choice selections and then to the third choice, if needed.

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