August 26, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Elections Canada has confirmed that 211 ballots were rejected in the recent Battle River—Crowfoot byelection in Alberta, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre secured his return to the House of Commons.
The byelection saw a total of 51,085 valid votes, with Poilievre winning more than 80% of them, totaling 41,308 votes.
This byelection was unique due to the unprecedented number of candidates—214 in total—prompting Elections Canada to implement a new voting method. For the first time, voters were required to write the name of their chosen candidate on a blank ballot.
To aid in this process, booklets listing all candidates were provided at voting stations.
According to Matthew McKenna, spokesperson for Elections Canada, ballots were counted as long as the voter’s intent was clear. This meant ballots with minor spelling mistakes could still be accepted.
However, any ballots missing a candidate’s name or naming someone not running in the riding were considered void, as the intention was not clear.
The high number of rejected ballots reflects the challenges posed by this new system, although it did not impact the outcome, given Poilievre’s decisive victory. The byelection marks his official return to Parliament ahead of the upcoming fall session.
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