Independent councillor keeps seat as Laval voters face morning issues at polls
By Matthew Daldalian
After more than a decade representing Chomedey, Aglaia Revelakis held onto her council seat Sunday night, but by the narrowest margin of her political career.
Revelakis, running as an independent, edged out Action Laval’s Costa Deeb by just 38 votes, winning 34.36 per cent of the vote (1,143 ballots) to Deeb’s 33.21 per cent (1,105). The Mouvement Lavallois candidate, Denitsa Dimitrova, finished third with 19.66 per cent, while the Parti Laval’s Sally Radwan took 12.77 per cent.
It marked a sharp drop from her commanding 52.19 per cent victory in 2021, when she carried Laval’s 14th district by more than 900 votes for Action Laval.
Independent Laval councillor Aglaia Revelakis monitors election day operations at her Chomedey campaign headquarters as polls close Sunday evening. (Matthew Daldalian, The Laval News)
“I’ve been here since early morning,” Revelakis told The Laval News before results were confirmed. “It’s crunch time, we’ve had over 30 volunteers working in shifts all day.”
Revelakis said voter turnout and polling irregularities made the day more stressful than most. On Sunday morning, more than 100 election staff across Laval failed to show up, delaying voting by up to half an hour in 23 polling stations, including the Centre du Sablon in Chomedey.
“The voters went out to vote and the polling station was not open because they didn’t have the sufficient personnel,” Revelakis said. “They had to go to work and couldn’t come back, so there are voters I lost in the morning. So that frustrated voters.”
Élections Laval confirmed the issue in a statement to CityNews, saying delays were quickly resolved and all polling stations closed at 8 p.m. as scheduled.
Revelakis said the problem reminded her of her concern that apathy and mismanagement are undermining local democracy. “People are not interested because they feel nothing will change,” she said. “So let’s go back to basics.”
Volunteers say effort paid off
For campaign organiser Zissis Fotopoulos, who has been involved in politics for years, the win was a testament to grassroots persistence.
“There’s no interest. People complain, but they don’t go vote,” he said. “If you complain, you have to go vote. If you want change, you vote.”
Fotopoulos praised Revelakis’s work ethic and door-to-door campaigning. “She knows every step. She did most of the houses herself starting in July,” he said. “Sometimes the old-fashioned way is the best way.”
Campaign organizer Zissis Fotopoulos (right) said Revelakis’ team focused on door-to-door contact and old-fashioned community outreach. (Matthew Daldalian, The Laval News)
Another supporter, Michael Arfanis, coordinated transportation for voters with mobility challenges. “It’s tiring, it’s a long day, but we’re fighting the good fight,” he said. “We know Aglaia is the right person. She’s shown it for the last three terms.”
Arfanis said helping residents get to the polls was about civic responsibility, not partisanship. “We don’t even know who they vote for. If they vote for someone else, so be it, we’ve helped them exercise their right,” he said.
Volunteer Alexa Pikilids, who has supported Revelakis for six years, said her motivation was personal. “She’s strong, confident and mature enough,” said Pikilids. “Even people who don’t know her believe in her.”
Laval’s political landscape shifts
Citywide, the Mouvement lavallois under Mayor Stéphane Boyer expanded its majority, winning 17 of 22 council seats and securing Boyer a second term with 58.87 per cent of the vote. The Parti Laval and Action Laval each elected two councillors.
Despite the lower margin, Revelakis said her team’s success showed that her personal connection to her district still matters in Laval politics.
“I really want to thank my volunteers,” she said. “Without the team, without the volunteers, you can’t do much.”
