Former cabinet minister Laforest demands answers before conceding in Saguenay

Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister Andree Laforest at her office in Saguenay Que. Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

Saguenay mayoral candidate and former CAQ minister Andrée Laforest is calling for answers regarding “the numerous irregularities and inconsistencies observed throughout the electoral process” before conceding victory to her rival, former city councillor Luc Boivin.

Her team is currently deciding whether it will demand a recount.

“I am not questioning the verdict of the polls, but the way the election was conducted. The lack of rigour and consistency observed last night raises legitimate concerns,” Laforest said in a statement on Monday.

The municipal elections were held on Sunday, but it took until Monday morning for a call to come in on the new mayor of Saguenay after a very close race.

Boivin won by a narrow margin of 232 votes over Laforest, according to Elections Quebec.

Laforest says that the “exceptionally high number” of rejected ballots warrants careful review.

That number stands at 1,335, according to Élections Québec.

“When only a few hundred votes separate the candidates, and so many ballots are rejected, it is essential to ensure that every vote cast has been counted,” added the former minister of municipal affairs.

Laforest also questioned “the information provided by the electoral authorities at 1:50 a.m., reporting a difference of more than 4,000 votes still uncounted at that time.”

Election president for the City of Saguenay, Annie Jean, said that “15 of the 530 counting reports required additional attention.”

“The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer requested the return of four ballot boxes and all related documents. This verification procedure led to a temporary interruption in the counting process, delaying the announcement of the final results,” she said in a statement on Monday.

“The process then continued as normal. This operation ensured the integrity of the democratic process and took into account every vote cast by the citizens of the city of Saguenay.”

Laforest took an early lead on election night on Sunday, but Boivin made a comeback to eventually take the lead.

The outgoing mayor, Julie Dufour, was seeking a new term, but she received less than three per cent of the votes.

Laforest resigned from her position as CAQ minister last September to run for mayor of Saguenay.

Her hasty departure from the government will force Premier François Legault to call a by-election in the riding of Chicoutimi, as the next general election is not scheduled until October 2026.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 3, 2025.