A candidate from the Bloc Québécois announced on Monday her intention to seek a new election in the Terrebonne riding in Montreal by appealing to the Supreme Court. This move comes after the federal Liberals secured victory in April by just one vote, a result that was challenged by Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné.

Sinclair-Desgagné is taking her case to the highest court in Canada following a recent decision by a Superior Court judge that dismissed her claims of irregularities invalidating the narrow win by Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste.

In a statement posted in French on Facebook, Sinclair-Desgagné criticized the Superior Court judgment, citing factual errors and a misinterpretation of the law that she believes warrants an appeal.

Initially, Auguste was declared the winner in the Terrebonne riding after the general election on April 28. However, the outcome was later overturned in favor of Sinclair-Desgagné following a validation process. A subsequent judicial recount on May 10 confirmed the Liberals’ victory with 23,352 votes, edging out Sinclair-Desgagné by just one vote.

Sinclair-Desgagné’s appeal stems from a Bloc voter’s revelation that a special ballot was returned due to an address error on the envelope provided by Elections Canada. She argues that this error led to the exclusion of at least one voter’s ballot, impacting the election outcome.

Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour dismissed Sinclair-Desgagné’s argument, ruling that the postal code mistake did not constitute an irregularity under federal electoral law. The judge characterized it as a common human error without malicious intent.

In response to the court’s decision, Sinclair-Desgagné expressed her determination to fight for democracy’s integrity by initiating a crowdfunding campaign to cover the legal costs associated with pursuing the case.