MONTREAL — Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, a former Bloc Québécois MP, is appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada after losing her election in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne by just one vote. Sinclair-Desgagné announced her decision following a recent ruling by the Quebec Superior Court, which denied her request for a new election.

The April 28 election saw Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste declared the winner by a narrow margin. Sinclair-Desgagné's challenge stems from a claim that irregularities in the voting process should invalidate the results. Specifically, she argued that a special ballot from a Bloc voter was returned due to an address error on the envelope provided by Elections Canada, preventing that vote from being counted.

In her statement, Sinclair-Desgagné criticized the Superior Court's decision, stating, "The judgment of the Superior Court of Quebec contains several errors of fact as well as an interpretation of the law and jurisprudence that invites an appeal."

The judicial recount conducted on May 10 confirmed that Auguste received 23,352 votes, one more than Sinclair-Desgagné. The Superior Court judge, Éric Dufour, ruled that the postal code error did not meet the criteria for an irregularity under federal electoral law. He described the mistake as a "simple human error" that occurred without any dishonest intent.

Sinclair-Desgagné emphasized the importance of accountability in democratic institutions. To support her legal battle, she has initiated a crowdfunding campaign to help cover the costs associated with the appeal. "Despite the significant financial burden that an appeal to the Supreme Court represents, I consider it my duty to fight to the end so that democracy is respected," she stated.

The outcome of this appeal could have implications for the integrity of electoral processes in Canada, as Sinclair-Desgagné seeks to challenge the ruling that upheld the election results in her riding.