Thank you very much.
When I moved to Ottawa and had to say “Dalhousie”, I couldn't. I really had to adjust to that, because if I didn't, people didn't know what I was talking about.
Thank you very much for having me today. I really appreciate that. I'll keep my comments very brief.
We know what special ballots are, of course. They require the voter to write in the name of the candidate they wish to vote for. The final list of candidates is posted on the Elections Canada website three weeks before election day, so voters can refer to that list when they're figuring out who to vote for.
Those who wish to use special ballots to vote by mail must apply to do so by the Tuesday before the election. Eligible voters will be sent a kit in the mail and must have ballots returned by election day. Canadians living abroad who wish to vote this way must register with the international register of electors. Once this is done, these voters do not need to apply to vote via special ballot with each election. They will receive the kit automatically, as soon as the campaign commences.
Elections Canada has already spoken about the issues that arose in the 2025 election with respect to some special ballots not being counted properly and not being in the right place at the right time. They have indicated that they will take measures to address this to ensure that it doesn't happen in the future. Beyond that, I would say there are at least two main challenges that could arise with special ballots, one being about tight timing and the other around judgment with respect to vote counting.
On the issue of timing, it's important that those who wish to vote via special ballot apply to do so as soon as possible, regardless of where they live. It strikes me that waiting until the Tuesday before voting day is not very much time at all. You're throwing in a risk that you're not going to get your ballot back in time. We need to make sure that voters are aware of these timelines and that they leave enough days to get the whole process over with so that their ballot gets in on time. These days, as we know, mail service faces disruptions and interruptions. We don't necessarily count on that. It can have unintended consequences.
On the issue of vote counting, special ballots perhaps require more interpretation than normal ballots, particularly if there's any judgment regarding how to decipher the voter's handwriting and therefore who they really intend to vote for. That said, it didn't seem to be a problem in the by-election in Battle River—Crowfoot, where a special ballot was used to avoid a long ballot with over 200 candidates, so it might not be an issue at all.
I'll leave it there. I look forward to the discussion.