French court annuls election in nation's smallest village

The administrative court in Bordeaux has nullified the municipal election in Castelmoron-d’Albret, a village in Gironde known as France's smallest commune. This decision opens the door for a potential new election. The election contest had been extremely close. François Migaud was initially declared the winner with 25 votes (52%) against Florence Castéra's 23 votes (48%). However, all ballots for Castéra's list were invalidated during the count. The reason cited was the absence of a mention of a candidate's Portuguese nationality, an irregularity that legally justified the nullification of these votes. With the invalidation of Castéra's entire list, Migaud was automatically declared the sole winner with 100% of the officially counted votes. Castéra's list was poised to secure an opposition seat before the ballot invalidation. François Migaud has the option to appeal the court's decision to the Conseil d'État. He has not yet decided whether to do so. The voters of Castelmoron-d’Albret might be called to the polls again, a prospect that both candidates seem prepared for, having stated their willingness to stand for re-election.

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the administrative court of Bordeaux has decided to annul the ballot in Castelmoron-d’Albret (Gironde). The reason: the invalidation of an entire list during the count, while only two votes separated the two candidates.