Canada's top court has nullified a one-vote electoral win in Quebec, leaving the seat vacant until a byelection is called.
The closely-contested federal election last April in the electoral district, or riding, of Terrebonne, was initially declared for the Bloc Québécois, but a later recount found the Liberal party had won the seat by one vote.
The top court's ruling cancels the victory of 25-year-old Tatiana Auguste, a Liberal who won against Bloc member Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné and has been sitting in Parliament ever since.
Politically, the ruling further complicates the arithmetic for Prime Minister Mark Carney. His Liberals now sit three seats short of a majority in the House of Commons.
The court ruled that the seat will now be vacant until a byelection is called, where the two candidates will face off once again.
