Elections Canada confirmed yesterday that the Terrebonne riding vote is final unless officially contested. "There's a possibility that that happens… as far as I'm aware, nobody's put forward such an application yet," according to a spokesperson.

A judicial recount resulted in a one-vote victory for Liberal Tatiana Auguste over incumbent Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, increasing the Liberal seat count to 170, two short of a majority. 

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet intends to challenge the process and wants a redo, reported CTV News. The issue arose after a voter reported receiving a ballot envelope with an incorrect postal code from Elections Canada; she voted for the Bloc Québécois. 

"It wasn't me who wrote the address," said Emmanuelle Bossé. "It was Elections Canada that gave me the envelope with the sticker, and all I had to do was write my return address."

Bossé mailed her ballot on April 5, ahead of the April 28 deadline, but received it back on May 2, leaving her frustrated.

Elections Canada stated that 85 of 115 special ballots were returned on time and counted, and they won't further review sealed ballots. 

An additional 16 ballots were not returned. In nine cases, electors who had initially requested mail-in ballots ended up voting in person.

Despite the controversy, the agency insists the results are final, and a byelection won't occur. The Bloc candidate who lost by one vote is considering her options.

"The Canada Elections Act does not explicitly provide for the appeal of a judicial recount, and Elections Canada is unaware of any appeals brought to a court following a recount," said agency spokesperson Matthew McKenna.

Initially projected to win by 35 votes, then trailing by 44 after post-election validation, Auguste ultimately won 23,352 to 23,351, reported the Canadian Press.

The automatic recount, triggered by the close margin (less than 0.1%), added 74 valid votes and slightly altered vote totals for other candidates. 

Elections Canada said this is the only case they know of where an envelope containing a marked ballot was returned to a voter because of an incorrect address. 

McKenna confirmed the returned vote was never part of the recount.

The agency confirmed Thursday that five late ballots were not counted in Terrebonne due to a postal code error on the return envelopes, according to Noovo Info.

"Any vote that doesn't get to us on time… even if it's something that happens as a result of an error on our part, there's no mechanism for that to be counted."

Ara Karaboghossian, a Vanier College professor, suggests the election outcome could be challenged due to potential irregularities. He told CBC that any irregularity affecting the result allows electors or candidates to contest the result. 

Elections Canada states that in a disputed election, a judge decides on eligibility and irregularities influencing the outcome. Karaboghossian believes a misprinted envelope could be a key irregularity. 

While minor irregularities are dismissed, the single vote difference in Terrebonne means a legal decision is needed after court action. If Bossé's Bloc vote is counted by the court, a by-election would likely occur.

Falling two seats short of a majority, the Liberals would still lack one even if they hold Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore. Recounts are happening in three other ridings.

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