Pen or pencil? Elections Canada says it doesn’t matter when casting a ballot
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/04/2025 (260 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA – Elections Canada wants you to know your ballot will count whether you mark it with a pen or with a pencil.
The independent agency says it’s seeing posts on social media claiming voters have to use a pencil to mark their ballot.
Some posts on X, the social media platform once known as Twitter, have encouraged voters to bring a pen to their polling station to avoid the possibility of ballot tampering.
On its website, Elections Canada dismisses as false the claim that a ballot marked in pencil could be smudged or erased and would not count as a result.
The agency says poll workers are required by law to provide voters with black-lead pencils, but a pen or some other writing tool would work just as well.
Elections Canada says it uses pencils because pens can dry up or leak, which could spoil a ballot.
Ballots are only unsealed when it’s time to count the vote on election day, Elections Canada says.
“All ballots are counted by pairs of paid election workers and, by law, the counting is done in front of witnesses who do not work for Elections Canada (usually candidates’ representatives),” says the Elections Canada website.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2025.