A former Bloc Quebecois MP, who lost her seat by just one vote in the recent federal election, is seeking a redo of the election results. The challenge is taking place in St-Jerome, Que., where Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné is contesting the outcome in the Terrebonne riding located north of Montreal.
The legal dispute arose after a local resident, who claimed to have supported the Bloc, discovered that her special ballot was rejected due to an address error on the Elections Canada-provided envelope. This discrepancy has prompted Sinclair-Desgagné‘s lawyer, Stephane Chatigny, to argue that the voter’s rights under the Charter were infringed, advocating for a new election to be conducted in the riding.
In the initial election held on April 28, Sinclair-Desgagné was narrowly defeated by Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste by just one vote. Chatigny further points out that 16 other special ballots were not returned within the designated timeframe, suggesting that additional voters may have been impacted by similar issues.
The ongoing hearing underscores the importance of addressing electoral discrepancies to uphold the integrity of the democratic process.