News Releases and Media Advisories

Advisory

Chief Electoral Officer Conducts Consultative Process on
Communications Technologies in the Canadian Electoral Process

OTTAWA, Wednesday, November 7, 2012 — In May 2012, the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Marc Mayrand, committed to tabling a report to Parliament to address concerns arising from the misuse of communications technologies during the 41^st general election. This report will examine the potential impact of these emerging technologies on the integrity of the electoral process and recommend improvements to the Canada Elections Act (CEA) to address these challenges.

In preparation for the report, Elections Canada is consulting with Canadian electors, political entities and individuals with expertise in the matters under consideration to better capture their concerns and insights. As part of this consultation, a discussion paper, Issues Arising from Improper Telecommunications with Electors, has been prepared which aims to provide information and present questions on the issues that may form the basis of the final report. The discussion paper will be used to engage political parties on the issues arising from alleged improper communications received by electors in the days leading up to polling day and on polling day, May 2, 2011

In addition to the discussion paper and consultations with a committee of representatives from the registered political parties, Elections Canada and the Institute for Research on Public Policy will engage experts in a roundtable dialogue on the issues and potential solutions. A survey will also be conducted during the month of November to get insight into Canadians' values and opinions regarding these issues.

The Chief Electoral Officer's final report will be presented to Parliament before March 31, 2013.

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Information:
Elections Canada Media Relations
1-877-877-9515
or at www.elections.ca