Tory members threaten legal action to extend registration for leadership vote

Ontario PC Party members are threatening legal action because they haven’t been allowed to register to vote for a new leader ahead of the deadline.

Lawyer and former MP John Nunziata confirmed the members are seeking a court injunction to extend the process past 8 p.m. Thursday.

CityNews has learned the case could go before a judge Friday, and none of the leadership candidates are involved.

The party already extended the deadline by a day due to a “continued stream” of members seeking verification PINs, the codes needed to complete the process required to cast a ballot.

Some of the four candidates vying to take the party reins have criticized the complexity of the voting system, which was launched after former leader Patrick Brown abruptly resigned in January amid sexual misconduct allegations.

Brown, who vehemently denies the allegations, briefly tried to reclaim his old job, but bowed out of the race last week, saying his bid was taking a toll on family and friends.

Former provincial legislator Christine Elliott, former Toronto city councillor Doug Ford, Toronto lawyer and businesswoman Caroline Mulroney and social conservative advocate Tanya Granic Allen are the four candidates competing for the top job.

The Tories, whose membership management system was hacked in November, implemented a two-step process to verify the identity of voters that requires party members to submit photo identification and wait to receive a special code in the mail.

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