Elections Canada chief admits ‘unacceptable’ failures in April vote
Image courtesy CBC
Canada’s chief electoral officer has acknowledged “unacceptable” failures in the April 28 federal election, conceding that Elections Canada fell short in ways that left thousands of voters without the services they were entitled to expect.
Stéphane Perrault, speaking in Ottawa this week, told reporters that despite some improvements, the 45th general election exposed deep structural weaknesses, from delays and staff shortages to gaps in service for Indigenous communities.
“What happened is unacceptable,” Perrault said, referring specifically to failures in Nunavik, northern Quebec, where limited engagement with communities resulted in some electors having little or no opportunity to vote.
“Establishing stronger relationships with Indigenous Peoples will continue to be a priority for Elections Canada. This work will take time and require sustained efforts. But offering voting services that are inclusive and welcoming for Indigenous communities is an essential aspect of reconciliation.”
Complaints and irregularities surge
Public complaints about the April election spiked by 64 percent compared to 2021, rising from 9,410 to 15,400. The report noted widespread inexperience among staff, with 36 percent of returning officers and 73 percent of poll workers new to their roles.
The consequences were widespread. Two Nunavik communities saw no voting at all after polls failed to open. In Terrebonne, Quebec, officials misprinted the return address on 115 mail-in ballots, leaving 16 ballots unaccounted for in a race decided by a single vote. Liberals captured the riding, but the result is now before Quebec Superior Court.
Other irregularities included 467 mail-in votes discovered after Elections Canada offices had already shut down in two ridings, and 822 ballots in Coquitlam, BC, that were never counted. Officials insisted the mistakes did not affect the overall results.
Strain on Indigenous voters
Beyond Nunavik, the report documented breakdowns in five other ridings with Indigenous populations across BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
In Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, Perrault personally apologized to Inuit leaders during a fact-finding visit reported by APTN News. He admitted Elections Canada had failed to recruit sufficient local workers and instead flew in replacements on election day, forcing some polls to close as early as 2:30 p.m.
“This should have involved working and engaging community leadership well in advance of the election to plan voting services that would best respond to the needs of each community, and to hire community members to serve their neighbours. That’s our operating model. Neighbours serving their neighbours, not flying poll workers in on polling day. That’s not how you operate,” Perrault said.
A system at its limits
Even as nearly 20 million Canadians cast ballots — the highest turnout in over three decades at 69 percent — the vote underscored mounting strains on the election system.
Perrault pointed to the challenges of a short, 36-day campaign under a minority government. Nearly half of electors voted early, forcing Elections Canada to deliver advance polling services 11 days sooner than in the past. The surge in advance voting also increased pressure on returning officers to secure polling sites and staff, a task complicated by what Perrault described as “growing difficulties” in finding suitable locations.
60 percent of voter information cards were delayed due to reported difficulties finalizing leases for polling places. On election night, Elections Canada’s website crashed between 7pm and 5am, leaving more than 920,000 Canadians unable to access polling information while stations remained open.
Perrault said that while the agency “largely met the main challenges,” it has reached the limits of what can be done within the current rules. He renewed his call for Parliament to extend the minimum length of non-fixed date elections and pledged a review of the special ballot process, which proved increasingly burdensome for local officials.
For Perrault, the failures of April 28 are both an operational and credibility test. “We will continue to focus on ensuring our electoral system remains resilient,” he said, thanking the 230,000 Canadians who staffed polling stations.
But with court challenges pending, voters still seeking assurances, and a minority Parliament that could collapse at any time, the April 28 election has left Elections Canada facing serious failures.
