As Canadians prepare to cast their ballots in the federal election, social media users are claiming that any writing on the paper by a poll worker can invalidate a vote. This is false; the posts are recirculating a debunked claim that emerged in the United States during its 2024 presidential election, and Canadian election officials are required to initial the back of a ballot when handing it to a voter.

"A very reliable good friend of mine just finished pollworker training and she texted me this.....Just finished Poll Manager training! I passed all the classes. I want you all to know something...if you are checking in at the polls and they happen to write anything on your ballot before they give it to you to put in the voting machine... a letter, a checkmark, a star, an R or a D any writing of any kind... please request a new ballot," says an April 11, 2025 Facebook post.

"Your ballot could be disqualified if it is written on. Please be on the lookout for this type of behavior."

The same claim has circulated elsewhere on Facebook and Instagram.

AFP investigated misleading posts with the same text ahead of the November 2024 US election, determining that "R" and "D" likely referred to the American Republican and Democratic parties.

In Canada, Mark Carney called a snap general election for April 28, just days after being sworn in as prime minister. Advance polls opened on April 18 following debates between the leaders in English and French.

Some parts of Canada do use...

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