Nearly 100K mail-in ballots ‘set aside’ during federal election: Elections Canada – National

Almost 100,000 mail-in ballots were not counted in the federal election, most because they arrived after the deadline, a report by Elections Canada has revealed.

The body that administers Canada’s elections says 99,988 special ballots were “set aside” and not counted, including because they arrived too late, were not filled in properly or lacked a signature.

Canadian expats living overseas, people working away from home in Canada and members of the Armed Forces were among those whose special ballots were not counted.

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A record number of people asked for special mailable ballots for the Sept. 21 election. But most Canadians voted in person at a polling station, although COVID-19 restrictions, including sanitizing and physical distancing, led to long delays at some.

The Elections Canada analysis found an 82 per cent increase in the number of mail-in ballots in last year’s general election compared to the 2019 federal poll.

The report said more than 1.1 million special ballots were received, including from prisoners in jail.

During a federal election, local electors voting by special ballot must return it to Elections Canada by close of polls. International voters, those voting by mail from away from home, including Canadian Forces and prisoners, need to return their ballot to Elections Canada headquarters in Ottawa by 6 p.m. for it to count.

Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault recommended this month that Parliament take steps to ensure that ballots arrive on…