A representative from Elections Canada is assuring Sault Ste. Marie voters that every ballot will be counted.
In response to questions about voters having to use blank ballots last week, Richard Theoret, regional media advisor with Elections Canada in Sudbury, said those votes will still be counted.
He said the reason voters used blank ballots at the 475 Pim Street voting location on April 16 is because ballots with candidates’ names on them had not been printed yet.
At that point, people could vote by special ballot. Since the ballots were blank, voters were provided with a list of the candidates’ names. They would write the name of the candidate they were voting for on the ballot.
“Blank ballots are just as valuable as printed ballots,” Theoret said.
“There’s no chance of getting votes not counted.”
All ballots will be counted by hand on Monday, April 28.
“Two people from Elections Canada will oversee the counting along with scrutineers. They must show the ballots to everyone in the room,” he said.
Theoret said he has worked as an elections employee for years and the electoral process is “very tight and very secure."
“All the numbers need to add up,” he said.
Theoret said Elections Canada should soon be able to announce how many people participated in advanced voting, held from Friday, April 18 until Monday, April 21.