CBC Breaks Elections Canada rules by reporting results early

CBC News broke the election results broadcasting ban on Monday by displaying results for around five minutes at 9:05 p.m. ET in Central Canada, just under 30 minutes before polls were set to close there.

A winner from the Madawaska-Restigouche riding was interviewed before the broadcast went off-air and a slate appeared saying "Sorry, we’re experiencing technical difficulties."

The broadcast resumed momentarily for about a minute before going off-air again.

The 73-year-old election law prohibits the transmission of election results until all the polls have closed, and is meant to prevent voters in the East from influencing choices in the West.

Polls close in Newfoundland two-and-a-half hours ahead of central Canada and much of the West, and three hours ahead of British Columbia, making it possible for most Canadian voters to know what happened in Atlantic Canada before they mark a ballot.