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Elections Canada says voters in the Battle River-Crowfoot byelection won’t have to worry about a typo spoiling their adapted ballot as long as it’s clear who they mean to vote for.
The agency announced Monday it was changing how the Aug. 18 byelection will be conducted after more than 200 people registered to run. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is running for a second shot at getting elected to the House of Commons after losing the Ottawa-area seat he had held for 20 years in the federal election in April.
To avoid another very long ballot form, an adapted ballot has been created. It is similar to the special ballots used by some Canadians in general elections, where people fill out the name of their preferred candidate to cast their vote.
When asked if a spelling error might lead to a ballot being tossed out, Elections Canada referred Global News to its website guidance on the upcoming vote.
“As long as your intention is clear, your vote will be counted, even if you misspell the candidate’s name,” the agency writes in response to a frequently asked question on its information page for the byelection.
To help Canadians when they vote, a complete list of candidates will also be provided to every voter.
While a typo won’t get your ballot tossed out, voters are still cautioned to only write the name of the candidate and not a political party in the space provided.
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Voters who may need help, such as due to a disability or other reason, are asked to contact the Elections Canada office in the riding to discuss their needs.
Those needing assistance can receive help from election workers at the polls or can bring a support person, such as a family member or personal support worker.
If you bring a support person, however, they will need to make a solemn declaration before voting to protect the secrecy of your vote.
On election night, paid election workers will count the ballots in front of candidate representatives or other witnesses who don’t work for Elections Canada. Each ballot will be shown to every person present, and the name will be read out loud for each ballot to be tallied.
Due to the different ballot process and a longer list of candidates, Elections Canada says voting could take longer than usual. However, the agency adds that poll workers are being provided extra training and support to help complete the count as quickly as possible.
The byelection was called last month after Conservative MP Damien Kurek, who won the riding in April with more than 80 per cent of the vote, stepped down so Poilievre could run.
Poilievre lost to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy in the April election.
He will be joined on the ballot by Liberal candidate Darcy Spady, the NDP’s Katherine Swampy, and dozens more that have been sponsored by the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest group bringing attention to the issue of electoral reform.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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