2026 General Local Election: What happens to my ballot after I vote?

Published on: October 5, 2026

On October 17, 2026, the City of Port Moody is holding a general local election to elect one mayor and six councillors for City Council and two school trustees for the School District 43 Board of Education. During a municipal election year, we often receive questions from voters who wonder what happens to their ballot after they vote. Is their ballot secure? How can they be sure it’s been counted? The City of Port Moody and its Election Office are committed to election integrity – that means running an election that is accessible, fair, secure, and transparent. Read our information below to find out how ballots are collected, stored, and counted.

If you vote in person:

Q: How do I mark and cast my ballot?

A: Using the pen supplied at the voting location, mark the ballot by completely filling in the circle next to your selected candidate(s). Vote for up to one mayor, six councillors, and two school trustees. You can vote in one, two, or all three races – and you can vote for as many (up to the maximum in each race) or as few candidates as you like. It’s your choice!

After marking your ballot, you will be directed to insert the ballot into a vote tabulator unit.

Q: Will the vote tabulator unit let me know if there’s a problem with my ballot?

A: The tabulator unit will generate a visual message on the touchscreen display if it detects the following on your ballot: 

• You’ve marked too many candidates in one race or more (overvoted) – votes marked in overvoted races are invalid and will not be counted. If you would like to make a correction, you will need to request a replacement ballot from the Presiding Election Official at your voting location (in this case, your original ballot with overvoted race(s) will be collected as a spoiled ballot and will not be counted in the election).
  
  
• You’ve marked fewer candidates than the maximum permitted in one race or more (undervoted) – undervoting is acceptable and all valid votes on the ballot will be counted, as you are not required to vote for the maximum number permitted within a race. If you marked fewer candidates by mistake, however, you will have the option to reclaim your ballot, return to a voting booth, and finish marking it.
  
  
• You’ve marked zero candidates – blank ballots can be accepted but no votes will be added to the election results. You will have the option to reclaim your ballot, return to a voting booth, and mark it.
  

Q: What happens after my ballot goes into the tabulator unit? How is it stored and counted?

A: The tabulator unit reads your ballot and adds all valid votes on your ballot to the total vote count. At the close of the election shortly after 8:00pm on general voting day, presiding election officials (i.e. voting place supervisors) will close voting on each tabulator unit and generate a results tape from each tabulator. 

The tabulator automatically calculates the total votes cast for each candidate as read by that tabulator over the course of voting and prints the results for that tabulator on the results tape. Results tapes are immediately returned to the Election Office for verification and reporting.

Ballots remain sealed in their respective ballot boxes, which are securely stored at election headquarters at City Hall for the period required by legislation.

If you vote by mail:

Q: Is a mail ballot the same as an in-person ballot?

A: Yes, a mail ballot is the exact same ballot you would receive at an in-person voting location. Note that each voter is only eligible to vote once in the election – either by mail ballot or in person.

Q: How do I mark and submit my mail ballot?

A: In your mail ballot package, you will find instructions for marking your mail ballot. Using a pen with black ink (preferred), mark the ballot by completely filling in the circle next to the candidate(s) of your choice. Vote for up to one mayor, six councillors, and two school trustees. You can vote in one, two, or all three races – and you can vote for as many (up to the maximum in each race) or as few candidates as you like. It’s your choice!

The mail ballot package will also include instructions for placing your completed mail ballot in the envelopes provided and returning it to the Chief Election Officer by 8:00pm on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Q: What happens after I return my completed mail ballot? How is my ballot stored and counted? How can I be sure my vote will remain anonymous?

A: As completed mail ballots are returned, they are stored securely at election headquarters until it is time for certification and counting.

Each mail ballot will go through a scrutinized certification process. This step is taken to ensure that all required documents (such as voter registrations) have been returned with the ballot, and all legislative requirements have been met.

The mail ballot package includes a secrecy envelope. The voter places their ballot inside the secrecy envelope, seals the envelope, then places the secrecy envelope within a certification envelope. The secrecy envelope does not have any external markings to identify the voter, and it may only be opened by the Chief Election Officer or designate. 

Once the mail ballot has been certified/validated, the sealed secrecy envelope (containing the ballot) is separated from the certification envelope. After the close of voting on general voting day, the secrecy envelopes are opened, and ballots are processed through a dedicated vote tabulator unit to count the votes.

Mail ballots that do not pass the certification process, as well as mail ballots that are delivered to the Chief Election Officer in an unsealed secrecy envelope or certification envelope, will not be counted in the 2026 General Local Election.

Q: What happens if a voter has overvoted, undervoted, or returned a blank mail ballot?

A: The tabulator unit will generate a visual message on the touchscreen display if it detects the following on a ballot: 

• Too many candidates are marked in one race or more (overvoting) – votes marked for overvoted races are invalid and will not be counted; any valid votes on the ballot will be counted.
  
  
• Fewer candidates are marked than the maximum permitted in one race or more (undervoting) – undervoting is acceptable and all valid votes on the ballot will be counted, as voters are not required to vote for the maximum number permitted within a race.
  
  
• Zero candidates are marked – blank ballots will be accepted but no votes will be added to the election results.

In all scenarios listed above, the election official will process the ballot through the tabulator and any/all valid votes on the ballot will be counted.

General information:

Q: Are candidates allowed to have a representative present during voting and ballot counting?

A: Yes, representatives called scrutineers may represent candidates at advance voting opportunities and on general voting day to observe:

• voting proceedings;
• the results tabulation process; and
• the opening of mail ballots.

Scrutineers are prohibited from campaign activities while inside a voting place. Their task is to observe the voting proceedings in a neutral manner. Scrutineers must follow provincial legislation, the local government’s election bylaw, and the direction of the Chief Election Officer and presiding election officials at the voting place during voting proceedings and the ballot counting process.

Q: How are preliminary results determined?

A: At the close of the election shortly after 8:00pm on general voting day, presiding election officials (i.e. voting place supervisors) will close voting on each tabulator unit and generate a results tape from each tabulator. The tabulator automatically calculates the total votes cast for each candidate as read by that tabulator over the course of voting and prints the results for that tabulator on the results tape.

The results tapes are immediately returned to the Election Office for verification and reporting.

At election headquarters, the Chief Election Officer or designate will generate results tapes from the vote tabulating units used at advance voting opportunities and for mail ballots. These results tapes, along with the results tapes generated by presiding election officials at voting places on general voting day, will be used to determine the preliminary election results.

Q: When are preliminary results announced?

A: Preliminary election results will be posted online at portmoody.ca/vote as they become available after 8:00pm on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Q: When are official results announced?

A: The Chief Election Officer must declare official results by 4:00pm on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Official results will be posted online at portmoody.ca/vote.

Q: Who can I contact for more information about the election?

Visit our Elections web page for more information. If you require information that is not available on this website or official City notices, please contact the Election Office at elections@portmoody.ca. 

Learn more:

Visit portmoody.ca/vote for more information about the 2026 General Local and School Board Election. B.C.’s Local Government Act authorizes municipalities to establish, by bylaw, procedures and requirements for general local elections, by-elections, and other voting. You can review Port Moody’s procedures and requirements in the consolidated City of Port Moody General Local Government Election Bylaw, 2022, Number 3367.

Community Matters contact:

If you have a question about a topic covered in a Community Matters article, contact communications@portmoody.ca.