Same-name candidates square off in P.E.I. election

Voters in one P.E.I. riding face a tough choice in the April 23 provincial election: Matthew MacKay, or Matthew MacKay.

Seeking re-election in the provincial district of Kensington-Malpeque, Progressive Conservative Matthew MacKay is being challenged by Green party rookie Matthew MacKay.

“I was a little worried that come election day some people might get confused,” says the Tory incumbent, a 37-year-old real estate agent who has represented the district since 2015.

To avoid confusion, his Green party rival has agreed to use his middle initial, which means his name will appear on the ballot as Matthew J. MacKay.

Matthew J. says the Island’s Scottish settlers helped create this odd predicament.

“The Scots are very frugal people, we recycle everything — we even recycle names,” says 64-yearold Matthew J.

The Green contender, who refers to himself as “Old Matthew,” says there will be no confusion on voting day.

“It’s an only-on-P.E.I. story, in the sense that District 20 has only 4,000 voters — and most of us know everybody here anyway,” Matthew J. said. “We don’t look remotely similar. And most people would know who is who ... Nobody is going to be confused in P.E.I.”

In the 2000 federal election, two men named John Williams faced off in Alberta’s St. Albert riding. Before the vote, the local returning officer drew their names out of a hat to determine which one would appear first on the ballot.