Title: Postal Code Error in Terrebonne Election Raises Legal Challenge

MONTREAL - A postal code error on special ballot return envelopes in Terrebonne has sparked a legal challenge after it went unreported for nearly three weeks before the recent federal election. The issue is central to a court case filed by Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, a former Bloc Québécois member who lost the April election by just one vote to Liberal MP Tatiana Auguste.

Sinclair-Desgagné's challenge claims that the irregularity prevented some voters from casting their ballots, potentially affecting the election outcome. The legal action follows a complaint from Emmanuelle Bossé, a local resident who mailed her ballot in early April using an envelope from Elections Canada, only to have it returned as undeliverable. Bossé stated she intended to vote for the Bloc Québécois.

According to court documents, a supervisor discovered the postal code error on April 6, 2025. The supervisor noted that while the address was correct, the postal code on the return ballot was incorrect, belonging to the supervisor instead of the returning officer. After realizing the mistake, the supervisor printed new labels and applied them to the remaining voting kits, destroying the incorrect ones that could be recovered. However, he estimated that at least 40 envelopes with the wrong postal code had already been sent out.

The supervisor did not inform the returning officer about the error, believing that the rate of returned ballots was consistent with previous elections. Sinclair-Desgagné argues that this oversight significantly impacted the election results.

The returning officer for Terrebonne stated he was only made aware of the error on May 12, 2025, after being approached by a reporter. Court documents reveal that out of 116 requests for special ballots, 19 were not returned by the deadline, and five ballots were returned late and not counted. The return rate for special ballots was reported at just under 72 percent, lower than the national average of 78 percent.

Danielle Duquette, who oversees special voting rules for Elections Canada, indicated in a sworn statement that she could not determine if the postal code error caused any ballots to be delayed. "My team and I have not detected any widespread anomalies regarding voting by special mail ballot in the constituency," she stated.

Stéphane Perrault, the chief electoral officer, testified about the 45th general election but refrained from discussing specifics related to Terrebonne due to the ongoing legal proceedings. He emphasized that any error preventing a voter from exercising their right to vote should be escalated to higher authorities.

Special ballots have been available since 2021, and voters are responsible for ensuring their ballots are returned on time, which can be done in person or through a third party, in addition to mail.

In mid-September, Elections Canada announced an investigation into issues with special ballots from the last federal election. The case is scheduled to be heard by a judge later this month, with three days set aside starting October 20 in St-Jérôme, north of Montreal.