▁in ▁those ▁districts . ▁ ▁Two ▁Deput y ▁Return ing ▁Offic ers ▁were ▁charged ▁by ▁the ▁D GE Q ▁with ▁viol ating ▁elections ▁laws , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁were ▁found ▁not ▁guilty ▁( a ▁decision ▁u ph eld ▁by ▁the ▁Quebec ▁Court ▁of ▁App e al ), ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁ball ots ▁were ▁not ▁rejected ▁in ▁a ▁fra ud ul ent ▁or ▁irregular ▁manner , ▁and ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁proof ▁of ▁consp i racy . ▁A ▁Quebec ▁Court ▁judge ▁acqu itted ▁a ▁Deput y ▁Return ing ▁Officer ▁charged ▁with ▁il leg ally ▁reject ing ▁ 5 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁ball ots ▁cast ▁at ▁his ▁Ch omed ey ▁pol ling ▁district . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁Quebec ▁Super ior ▁Court ▁denied ▁an ▁application ▁by ▁Alliance ▁Quebec ▁that ▁attempted ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁D GE Q ▁to ▁give ▁access ▁to ▁all ▁ 5 ▁million ▁ball ots , ▁r uling ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁authority ▁that ▁could ▁do ▁so ▁exp ired ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁refer endum ▁ball ots ▁were ▁sh red ded ▁and ▁rec yc led ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁after ▁appe als ▁were ▁exha usted . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁former ▁P Q ▁Cab inet ▁minister ▁Richard ▁Le ▁Hir ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁P Q ▁coordin ated ▁the ▁ball ot ▁re jections , ▁which ▁P Q ▁officials ▁denied . ▁ ▁Cit iz ens hip ▁and ▁Im m igration ▁Canada ▁ ▁Cit iz ens