Counting votes during a federal election is always done by two election workers. They count each ballot in front of observers, including candidates or their representatives.
Read more – Counting process: Narrative 1
The results are recorded on a paper document, called the Statement of the Vote. A copy is given to the candidates or their representatives who are present. The totals on the Statement of the Vote are then entered into Elections Canada's results aggregation and reporting system. This system, which is housed on a secure network based in Canada, allows us to post the results on our website and provide them to media outlets in near real time.
A few days after election night, each returning officer (RO) validates the results for their riding (electoral district). The RO compares the totals entered into the results aggregation and reporting system for each polling station with those recorded on the paper Statement of the Vote on election night. If the RO finds that the totals in the results aggregation and reporting system don't match those on the Statement of the Vote, the RO corrects the error in the system.
This validation is done in front of candidates or their representatives. Once the results have been confirmed, the RO issues a certificate that shows the number of votes for each candidate in the riding and gives it to the Chief Electoral Officer. The RO also sends copies to the candidates or their representatives. Elections Canada publishes the validated results on our website as we receive them.
It is important to know that electors, including candidates, can request a judicial recount of the votes. A judicial recount is a formal way of verifying the count of the votes cast in a particular riding. You can learn more about this process in the Judicial Recount Handbook.
Recounts are presided over by a judge of the superior court who sits in the electoral district in the province or territory where the election results are being validated. Upon application by an elector, a judicial recount can occur if there is credible evidence that:
- an election officer incorrectly counted or rejected ballots
- an election officer wrote an incorrect number of votes cast for a candidate on the Statement of the Vote, or
- the RO incorrectly added up the totals recorded on statements of the vote
All other concerns about the regularity of an election are addressed through the contested election process. After a person is declared elected, any elector who was eligible to vote in the riding, or any candidate in the riding, may bring an application for a contested election before a judge, either in a provincial superior court or in the Federal Court.
Learn more: Results, Validation, Recounts, and Contested Elections: What Happens After Voting in a Federal Election
It is also important to know that ballots are stored securely for 10 years after an election. This means that if there is an investigation by the Commissioner of Canada Elections, the number of ballots cast during an election can still be verified.