Judicial recount confirms Quebec Conservative win in Champlain
Posted October 23, 2026 1:21 pm.
A judicial recount has confirmed the Quebec Conservative Party’s (PCQ) win in the riding of Champlain, while slightly narrowing the margin between the top two candidates.
Adriano Szalontai of the PCQ was declared elected after the recount, which was held Thursday at the Trois-Rivières courthouse.
“This is a great way to wrap up our wonderful swearing-in ceremony,” PCQ leader Eric Duhaime said on X.
The recount covered 67 of the riding’s 191 ballot boxes after Parti québécois candidate René Branchaud raised concerns about discrepancies in the initial vote count.
Following the recount, Szalontai remained in first place with 12,690 votes.
PQ candidate René Branchaud’s total increased from 12,499 to 12,504 votes, reducing Szalontai’s lead from 191 votes to 186.
The recount also resulted in smaller changes for the other candidates. Marie-Eve Myrand of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) finished with 7,395 votes, while Quebec Liberal Party candidate Annie Pronovost had 6,511.
The PCQ’s seat count remains at 19. The party finished the election in third place, and makes up the province’s second opposition behind the Liberals.
In this case, the recount examined the 67 ballot boxes where irregularities had been raised. After the recount, Branchaud withdrew his request, and the parties involved agreed to recognize the results from the remaining 124 ballot boxes.
The court subsequently officially declared Szalontai the elected candidate in Champlain.
Elections Québec says judicial recounts have been held nine times following provincial elections since 2000. Two have been held following this year’s election.
The riding of Vachon, located on Montreal’s South Shore, flipped to the PQ after a recount revealed a difference of just three votes.
