"Madam, all votes count. I lost by nine votes in 2011. "| Elections Canada 2019

Bernard Genereux suddenly has tears in his eyes. Just going back to what happened in 2011 moves him. It changes his man, we do not see things the same way after.

The Conservative member was confident, perhaps too confident. First elected in a by-election two years ago, he was confident voters would give him a new mandate when Stephen Harper called a general election.

On the evening of May 2, 2011, Bernard Genereux was first given a winner with a majority of 110 votes on the NDP candidate. The day after the election, turnaround. His phone rings, it is announced that he has rather lost.

Eleven days after the election and the orange wave, the judicial recount confirms that Bernard Genereux is dislodged by 9 votes. I was on the punishment bench for four years. I thought about it every day and it was a lesson of humility.

People had said after my defeat that I was haughty. They felt like I was above my business. It hurt so much that I had to work on my personality.

In 2015, the conservative candidate takes his revenge, but he must pass through another judicial recount, this time confirms his victory.

As he walks the streets of Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska in the final stretch of this campaign, he politely reminds a constituent who has not yet voted the importance of going there. <q data-attributes = "{" lang ": {" value ":" fr "," label ":" French "}," value ": {" html ":" Madam, all votes count. I lost by ninevoice in2011. "," Text ":" Madam, all votes count. I lost by ninevoices in 2011. "}}" Lang = "en">Madam, all votes count. I lost by nine votes in 2011.

Do not take anything for granted has become a cliche in politics. But for Bernard Genereux, more than for any other candidate, the expression makes sense. <q data-attributes = "{" lang ": {" value ":" fr "," label ":" French "}," value ": {" html ":" There are 58municipalities in the county I did the 58municipalities. I was on the island of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs. There are 35voters, I went to see them one by one. I had never done this before. "," Text ":" There are 58 municipalities in the county, I have made 58 municipalities. I was on the island of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs. There are 35 voters, I went to see them one by one. I've never done this before. "}}" Lang = "en">There are 58 municipalities in the county, I made the 58 municipalities. I was on the island of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs. There are 35 voters, I went to see them one by one. I had never done that before.

The rare victories during a protest

In all, 31 judicial recounts have been made necessary since 1997. On only two occasions, the court overturned the initial result, including that of 2011 in Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere-du-Loup.

Clement Masse was a privileged witness of this spectacular outcome. He represented the Conservative candidate at the 2011 recount.

He practiced law for 44 years in the Riviere-du-Loup region. In my career, it has been at the top of the list in terms of stress.

<q data-attributes = "{" lang ": {" value ":" fr "," label ":" French "}," value ": {" html ":" They removed the benches from the seating room criminals at the courthouse. They replaced them with 12tables to be able to put the ballot boxes. "," text ":" They removed the benches from the hall of criminal assizes at the courthouse. They replaced them with 12tables to put the ballot boxes. "}}" Lang = "en">They removed the benches from the hall of criminal assizes at the courthouse. They replaced them with 12 tables to put the ballot boxes.

Since the difference between the Conservative candidate and the NDP candidate was less than one-thousandth of the total, the 48,225 ballots had to be recounted one by one before the judge. This is mandated by the Canada Elections Act.

Clement Masse agrees to return to this episode because he wants to raise awareness among voters to the importance of voting in accordance with the basic rules. Thirty-three ballots considered contentious changed the game.

We saw all kinds of them on the ballots. Markings outside the circle, smiles, little fellows, drawings. These silly things can have huge consequences in the end.

If we add up the costs, it's hundreds of thousands of dollars for the state and the political parties, wishes to remind Clement Masse.

Where certainties are no longer legion

Whether at the busiest cafe in Riviere-du-Loup or at the curling club, recent history has taught many voters to be restrained in the outcome of the vote.

This time, I will not draw a conclusion the same evening. I will prefer to wait until tomorrow to have a better idea, is limited to saying Bertrand Lavoie.

Jeannine Ouellet, too, does not dare to dive. It's annoying; here we learned not to make predictions anymore.

Who knows, a third recount will not surprise mesays Laval Beaulieu half-jokingly, half serious.

Bernard Genereux trusts fate, encouraged by what he saw in the field.

The campaign that my team and I have just done was the best of the four. We were everywhere. We can not do more. If I had to be defeated on Monday, it will be with a smile.

With the many races that are announced tight Monday night, judicial recounts may be necessary. If it happens here, it will happen. I will take it with much more serenity. But it takes nerves of steel, I do not wish that to my worst enemy.