Liberals won Terrebonne, Que., riding by 1 vote — but this woman’s Bloc ballot wasn’t counted

After a voter in a Quebec riding came forward with an envelope that had been returned to sender, Elections Canada has launched an investigation into the matter. The envelope contained a vote for the Bloc Québécois in the Terrebonne riding, where incoming Liberal MP Tatiana Auguste was declared the winner by just one vote after multiple recounts.

According to Elections Canada, the return address printed on the elector’s envelope was incorrect, specifically part of the postal code. The agency stated, “We are still working to gather all the facts. We will be able to get back to you as soon as we have more information.”

The voter, Emmanuelle Bossé, expressed frustration with the situation, stating that she had sent in her vote on time for the April 28 federal election. She emphasized that the error in the return address was made by Elections Canada, not herself. Despite mailing her vote on April 5, it was returned to her on May 2.

Auguste’s narrow victory by one vote in the Terrebonne riding made headlines internationally and garnered significant attention on social media. Initially, Auguste was ahead by 35 votes on election night, but after a validation process, the result shifted to the incumbent Bloc Québécois MP Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné by 44 votes. This led to an automatic judicial recount, which ultimately confirmed Auguste as the winner by a single vote.

Political commentator Frédéric Bérard described the outcome as unprecedented in recent history. The validation process conducted by Elections Canada involves double-checking and verifying the reported numbers on election night before officially declaring the result. A win by less than 0.1% of the overall vote triggers a recount overseen by a judge.

However, Ara Karaboghossian, a professor of political science at Vanier College, suggested that the election outcome could still be contested through Elections Canada’s contested elections process. According to Karaboghossian, irregularities such as the misprint on the return envelope could be grounds for contesting the decision if it is deemed to have influenced the result.

If the court rules in favor of counting Bossé’s Bloc vote, a byelection may be necessary. Karaboghossian emphasized that this situation presents uncharted territory in terms of electoral procedures and outcomes. The decision to proceed with a byelection would depend on the legal implications of the irregularity and its impact on the election result.