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Understanding voting

Rejected ballots

Summary

Find out why a ballot may be rejected during the counting of votes and how Québec deals with blank votes.

Reasons for rejection

Electoral laws provide that a ballot must be rejected if:

  • More than one circle was marked, i.e., more than one candidate was chosen
  • The ballot was not marked
  • It was marked elsewhere than in one of the circles, for example, the elector circled the name of the candidate
  • It was marked in favour of a person who is not a candidate, which can occur on a special ballot that requires the elector to write the name of the candidate, for example, when they vote by mail while temporarily absent from Québec.
  • It bears trivial or inflammatory writing such as doodles or insults
  • It bears a mark that identifies the person who voted, e.g., the elector signed or initialled the ballot
  • It was marked using a means other than the pencil provided with the ballot paper, for example, with a pen or a marker
  • It was not supplied by the deputy returning officer
  • It does not include the initials of the deputy returning officer on the back of the ballot

No ballot paper may be rejected for the sole reason that the mark extends beyond the circle or that the circle is not completely filled in. However, the mark must not touch another circle.

Any mark made in the circle that clearly indicates the elector’s intent should be accepted—for example, an X, a cross, a circle, a dot, a check mark, a fully darkened circle or a partially darkened circle. The important thing is for the mark to be clear; it should leave no doubt as to the intended vote.

Consequences of a rejected ballot

Under Québec’s electoral system, rejected ballots are counted in voter turnout. However, only valid ballots are included in the determination of how the total amount of annual financial assistance to political parties is distributed.

Blank vote and voluntarily spoiled ballots in Québec

The current ballot paper models are prescribed by the electoral laws. They do not provide the possibility to vote for none of the candidates or parties, which is referred to as a blank vote in other electoral systems.

For example, if an elector does not mark any circles or marks all circles in order to voluntarily spoil their vote, their ballot will be rejected during the counting of the votes, but will still be counted in voter turnout.

Other resources

The Charter of the French language and its regulations govern the consultation of English-language content.

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