Fact sheet: Counting ballots in the electoral district of Carleton

The ballot in the electoral district of Carleton has 91 candidates.

To accommodate this number of candidates and mitigate accessibility issues, the ballot is larger than normal (97.03 centimetres in length).

The design incorporates the preferences expressed by various groups we consulted, including the Advisory Group for Disability Issues (AGDI) and other stakeholders representing electors with disabilities and literacy groups.

Ballot counting

The unusual size of the ballot for Carleton will affect the counting of the ballots in that electoral district. While the counting procedures remain the same as in other electoral districts, some steps will take longer.

Here's a summary of the steps most impacted by the unusual ballot size:

• It takes longer to unfold the larger ballots and find the mark next to the candidate's name so that one of the election workers can read the name out loud for the scrutineers to hear.
• Scrutineers often want to take a close look at each ballot to make sure there are no other marks that would disqualify it.
• Making a pile of the larger ballots for each candidate will take more time and space.
• A ballot box can hold up to 1,000 regular-size ballots but only about 100 of the larger ballots used in Carleton, so more boxes will have to be used in Carleton. This means that it will take more time to break the seal on each box and make sure that witnesses see the empty boxes afterward.
• When it's time to put ballots into envelopes for each candidate, refolding the larger ballots will take longer. These envelopes can only hold 30–40 long ballots, which means that more envelopes have to be used and properly sealed.

Here are estimates of the amount of time it takes to count 100 ballots, based on simulations:

• 10 minutes to count regular-size ballots
• 33 minutes to count the larger ballots used in Carleton
• 48 minutes to count the larger ballots once examination by scrutineers is factored in

To mitigate these challenges and ensure the timely delivery of results, Elections Canada is making the following adjustments:

• Through an adaptation to the Canada Elections Act, counting the ballots cast at advance polls will start six hours before the close of polls.
• Extra teams will be counting ballots that were cast at advance polls.
• A series of changes have been implemented to make the process more efficient, including:
  • Election officers have been given additional poll bags and transport bags to store and transport election materials.
  • The election officer who counts the ballots does not have to write the name of each candidate on the Envelope: Ballots Cast for a Candidate (EC 50450). As the votes come in, the election officer will write down the candidate's name on the envelope and then place the ballots on top of it.
• Election officers who record each vote on the Tally Sheet (EC 50090) do not need to write all the candidates' names on it. They can write down the names of the candidates on the Tally Sheet (EC 50090) as they are being called.
  • Larger versions of the Envelope: Stubs and Unused Ballots (EC 50420) and Envelope: Rejected Ballots (EC 50440) have been provided in the kits to securely store the unused and rejected ballots during the count.
  • Election officers are not required to complete multiple copies of the Copy of Results for Candidates (EC 50110). The form makes three carbon copies. Candidates or their representatives can also take a picture of the document inside the voting room, away from voting materials.