A person enters a polling station in the Vancouver East riding on federal election day in Vancouver on Monday, April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS
Elections Canada revealed that over 800 special ballots from Canada’s recent federal election were mistakenly left behind in a B.C. office. The error was traced to the returning officer’s office in Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, where 822 special ballots were not returned to Elections Canada headquarters in time to be counted.
B.C. Ballots Missed the Deadline
These ballots were supposed to arrive at the national headquarters by 6 p.m. on April 28 to be included in the official count. However, they remained at the local office and were never processed. As a result, hundreds of Canadians’ votes went uncounted in the federal election.
Ballots Spanned 74 Ridings
The 822 misplaced ballots included votes from 74 electoral districts nationwide. More than 500 of them were intended for the Port Moody—Coquitlam riding. In that riding, Liberal candidate Zoe Royer won with 27,074 votes, narrowly defeating Conservative Paul Lambert, who secured 25,126.
Other ridings affected by the error included Halifax, Nepean, and Vancouver Centre. Despite the broad reach of the affected ballots, Elections Canada said its preliminary review shows no election results were changed due to the oversight.
Cause: Human Error and Protocol Failure
Elections Canada admitted the incident resulted from human error and a breach of standard procedures. The agency acknowledged that staff failed to follow written guidelines for processing and transferring special ballots.
Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault responded swiftly to the revelation. He has ordered a thorough review of internal controls to prevent such a mistake from happening again.
A Promise to Restore Trust
Perrault emphasized the agency’s responsibility to Canadians and political parties. "My commitment to candidates, political parties and Canadians is that when issues related to the delivery of an election arise, we take all necessary steps to resolve them," he said in a public statement.
Political Parties Notified
Elections Canada confirmed that all registered political parties were informed about the misplacement of the ballots. The agency has assured the public that the situation is being investigated and corrective measures are underway.
The Bigger Picture
While the missed ballots did not appear to alter any riding outcomes, the incident raises questions about election integrity and the handling of special ballots. Special ballots, which allow Canadians to vote by mail from anywhere, are a vital part of the electoral process.
Internal scrutiny has been increased after the incident, and more information is expected following the review. Canadians are now watching closely to see what steps Elections Canada will take to ensure future elections run smoothly.
