The Supreme Court of Canada has annulled the result of the federal election in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne. Liberal MP Tatiana Auguste was declared the winner in last spring's election by a single vote over Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné. The ruling effectively cancels the election result in that riding.
The decision stems from a challenge by Sinclair-Desgagné after a voter revealed that her special ballot was returned due to an address error on the envelope provided by Elections Canada. The Bloc argued this constituted an irregularity that influenced the close result. While the Quebec Superior Court initially ruled the error was "human error" and did not affect the integrity of the electoral system, the Supreme Court disagreed.
The lawyer for Auguste had argued that cancelling the election would disenfranchise the over 60,000 people who cast ballots. He stated that it wasn't Elections Canada's responsibility to ensure mail-in ballots arrive. Sinclair-Desgagné's lawyer countered that denying an eligible voter the right to vote constitutes an irregularity that affected the election outcome.
The Supreme Court's decision underscores the importance of every vote and raises questions about the integrity of the electoral process when margins are razor-thin. A new election will need to be held in the Terrebonne riding. The date for the by-election has not yet been set.
