Liberals lose closely contested seat to Bloc Québécois after vote validation

The Liberals have faced a setback after Elections Canada’s validation process revealed that they had lost a closely contested riding in Quebec. Terrebonne, located just north of Montreal, was initially called in favor of the Liberals by a margin of 35 votes, flipping the seat from the Bloc Québécois.

However, a double-check of the numbers during the validation process showed that the Bloc Québécois had actually won the riding by 44 votes. This unexpected turn of events has caused the Liberals to drop one seat, bringing their total to 168 seats, while the Bloc Québécois now holds 23 seats.

The validation process conducted by Elections Canada is essential for verifying the unofficial results reported on election night. Each local returning officer meticulously reviews the results from every polling station to identify and rectify any potential errors that may have occurred during the initial reporting.

Despite the validation process, the race in Terrebonne remains so close that an official recount has been triggered. Official recounts are overseen by a judge and are automatically initiated if a candidate’s margin of victory is less than 0.1% of the overall vote.

Past elections have seen official recounts lead to a change in the outcome of ridings. In 2021, for example, a recount in the riding of Châteauguay-Lacolle resulted in the Liberals being declared the winners after initially losing to the Bloc Québécois.

Another riding that will undergo an official recount is Terra Nova-The Peninsulas in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the Liberal candidate narrowly defeated the Conservative candidate by just 12 votes.

The outcome of these recounts could potentially alter the seat distribution in Parliament, underscoring the importance of ensuring the accuracy of election results. As the process unfolds, both the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois will be closely monitoring the developments in these closely contested ridings.