Elections Canada Confirms Final Result of Terrebonne Recount Despite Misprint Issue

After a recount in the federal riding of Terrebonne, Elections Canada has declared that the result is final, even though a misprint on a special ballot caused it to be returned to the sender. The error occurred on the envelope used to mail a special ballot from Terrebonne, a Quebec riding that was won by the Liberals by a single vote after the recount.

Initially, the preliminary results showed that the Liberals had secured the riding. However, the seat briefly shifted to the Bloc Québécois after the results were validated. Following the recount, the Liberals regained the seat. Despite this, CBC News reported that a Bloc voter had her mail-in ballot returned to her.

According to Elections Canada, an analysis revealed that a part of the return address on the envelope, specifically the last three characters of the postal code, was incorrect. Despite concerns about the possibility of another recount or a byelection, Elections Canada spokesperson Matthew McKenna stated that “the result of the recount is final.”

McKenna explained that the Canada Elections Act does not explicitly allow for the appeal of a judicial recount, and Elections Canada is not aware of any appeals made to a court following a recount. The agency noted that this incident is the only known case in the recent election where an envelope containing a marked ballot was returned to a voter due to an incorrect address.

Regarding the returned vote, McKenna clarified that it was not included in the recount. He emphasized that any ballot that does not reach the intended destination on time, whether it is a local office or the accounting facility in Ottawa, cannot be counted according to the law, regardless of the reason for the error.

McKenna highlighted that the only way the election result could be altered is if someone officially contests it. He mentioned that individuals can apply to a judge to request a review of the election results, but as of now, no such application has been submitted.

Overall, despite the misprint issue on the special ballot envelope, Elections Canada has confirmed the final result of the Terrebonne recount and stated that there is no mechanism for the returned ballot to be counted. The agency remains open to potential challenges to the election results through official channels.