Elections Canada will let some ridings count advance ballots slightly early – National [Video]

Elections Canada will let poll workers in some ridings start counting advance ballots a little bit earlier, owing to the record number of votes cast in early voting on Easter weekend.

Preliminary estimates released by Elections Canada on Tuesday showed 7.3 million voters cast their ballot at advance polls during this past weekend, a 25-per cent increase from the 5.8 million votes in the 2021 federal election.

Ordinarily, vote counting does not begin until polls close. However, election law in Canada allows the chief electoral officer to make exceptions, on the request of district returning officers, to start counting advance ballots up to one hour before polls close.

Due to the high number of advance ballots cast in advanced polls, Elections Canada has received special dispensation to allow for counting of advance votes to begin up to two hours before polls close.

This will take place in only some ridings and the returning officers would have …