Ontario PC leader Doug Ford waves as he leaves from the back door of a campaign announcement in Toronto on Monday, June 4, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO— Over the course of the Ontario election — and with just one day left until voters head to the polls — Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford has avoided interviews with virtually every major media outlet.

From the National Post, to CTV and CBC News, interview requests were put in many times but never accepted. Add to that the Ford campaign’s control over which reporters ask questions at press conferences, their no follow-up rule, and exits through back doors.

Ford told reporters Tuesday all of that adds up to him being the most accessible candidate in the election campaign.

“I have full access. Matter of fact, at the beginning of this campaign, I’ve probably had more media access than both of the candidates combined. I’m there, I see you every day, I’ll see you tomorrow I’ll see you this afternoon,” Ford said.

The numbers show that’s not quite the case.

Since the writ drop on May 9, the Tories say Ford has done 17 interviews. Compare that to the 75 interviews the NDP say Leader Andrea Horwath has done. And while the Liberals don’t have a complete list they said in the last week alone Kathleen Wynne has done more than 30 interviews.

While Horwath and Wynne also went to editorial boards at the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail, Ford did not.

Carleton University journalism professor Christopher Waddell calls Ford’s claim “demonstrably untrue.”

The Tories, he said, are using a “peek-a-boo strategy.”

“Their campaign is designed to protect him from probing questions that would reveal his lack of knowledge about most of everything that he’s supposed to be knowledgeable about,” he said.

Waddell said the strategy can work, but it’s not a guarantee.

While public opinion polls continue to give the upper hand in Thursday’s election, its far from the cake walk for Ford that the polls were showing only weeks ago.

T-minus one day to e-day

In about 24 hours the polls will open in Ontario — closing the book on a wild five months in Ontario politics and, in all likelihood, opening another.

In their final push on the hustings, the Progressive Conservatives will swing through the crucial 905 region and then end with a rally in Southwestern Ontario.

Ford is stopping in Liberal ridings of Milton, Burlington and Etobicoke—Lakeshore, the new riding of Oakville North—Burlington, and Tory-held Haldimand—Norfolk.

Wynne will also stop in Haldimand—Norfolk and Oakville North—Burlington. More notably she’ll spend the morning in the traditional Liberal stronghold of Toronto Centre.

Horwath is spending her entire day in the suburban ridings that circle Toronto. Two of her stops are in the new ridings of Scarborough—Rouge Park and Brampton Centre. Her three other stops are in Liberal seats in Scarborough Centre, York Centre and York South—Weston.

Follow @MariekeWalsh