Your Pay – What You Need to Know

Payment Process

If you are working in the RO office, you are paid every two weeks. There are normally three pay periods during the election, ending on Day 23, Day 9 and Day –5 of the election calendar. See the financial officer for payment dates.

If you are a poll official working on election day or at advance polls, you will be paid after the election. You can generally expect payment within eight weeks after election day.

Payment Information

When you are hired, you will be sworn in and asked to sign a Solemn Declaration form. This form is your authority to act in the position for which you have been hired. You must provide the following personal information for us to process your payments: your full name, mailing address, email address, date of birth and social insurance number.

Please check the information on your Solemn Declaration form and make any necessary corrections.

Important: Incorrect information will lead to delays in registering you on the payroll and issuing your pay.

For information about your pay, please contact the financial officer during the election. If the RO office is closed, call the Payment Inquiry Line at the number listed at the end of this document.

Your Pay

We strongly recommend that you choose to be paid by direct deposit because it is the quickest and easiest way. To enroll, submit a personal cheque marked VOID or a direct deposit information slip from your financial institution. Please give us this information when you check and sign your Solemn Declaration form.

Office staff generally get their deposit within seven working days of the end of each pay period, or within four weeks of election day for the last pay period. Poll officials generally get paid within eight weeks after election day. You will also get a pay stub in the mail.

If you move or if your banking information changes, please notify the financial officer immediately.

Source Deductions

Source deductions include federal and provincial income tax, Employment Insurance premiums, Quebec Parental Insurance Plan contributions (Quebec workers only) and Canada or Quebec pension plan contributions. They will be deducted from the pay of all office staff unless you indicated to the financial officer that you qualify for specific exemptions.

Poll officials who work fewer than 35 hours will not have any source deductions.

Poll officials who also worked as office staff will have source deductions based on their total earnings.

If you are entitled to personal tax credits for the amount of income tax deducted, please ask the financial officer for the relevant federal and provincial tax forms. If you do not complete a form, we will allow for the basic personal amount for income tax deductions.

Canada Pension Plan (CPP) deductions are mandatory for all amounts earned by a worker between 18 and 70 years of age, including those under 65 receiving CPP benefits. CPP recipients between 65 and 70 can elect to no longer contribute to the CPP using form CPT30, available from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The worker must submit a CPT30 form to both CRA and the returning officer. Quebec pension plan deductions are mandatory for all workers in Quebec, regardless of age.

Record of Employment, T4 and Relevé 1

If you were assigned to an office staff position or worked 35 hours or more as a poll official, you will receive a Record of Employment.

We will issue a T4 slip in February to election workers as a statement of earnings, if they meet the criteria set by CRA.

We will also issue a Relevé 1 slip in February to all election workers who worked in the province of Quebec as a statement of earnings.

It is every worker's responsibility to report their income, whether or not they had source deductions or received their T4 or Relevé 1 slip.

Note that you may use your statement of earnings (pay stubs, T4 slip and/or Relevé 1 slip) to start your Employment Insurance claim, if applicable.

Timesheets

If you are assigned to an office staff position, you must record your hours on the Timesheet for the Election Worker. You must submit the completed timesheet every week to the financial officer for the returning officer's approval.

If you are assigned to work at advance polls or on election day, you must record the hours you worked on the Timesheet for the Election Worker. You must submit the completed timesheet to the central poll supervisor for the returning officer's approval.

If you successfully completed training, you will be paid at the hourly rate of the position you are being trained for.

Travel

If you are invited to attend a training session, please note that all travel kilometres over 32 km (round trip) will be reimbursed. If you attend a training session and have to travel farther than that, you can claim a reimbursement for kilometres travelled beyond the first 32 km by filling out the Kilometre Log (EC 11700), available from the financial officer.

Office staff or poll officials working in certain positions may claim a reimbursement for authorized service kilometres by filling out the Kilometre Log (EC 11700), available from the financial officer.

Other Fees

If you are in a position eligible for additional fees, you will be informed at the time of hiring. Authorized payments for these fees are issued after election day.

Payment Approvals

All payments are subject to review and prior approval by the returning officer. No person in any other position may authorize payments.

Remediation

If you believe a payment was not made to you that you were entitled to receive, based on the tariff of fees for your position, please see the financial officer during the election. If the RO office is closed, call the Payment Inquiry Line at the number listed below. All requests will be coordinated and verified with the returning officer to determine whether a payment may be authorized.

Overtime and Designated Holiday Pay

If you are an office staff and are required to work overtime, you will be paid at a rate of one and one-half times your regular hourly rate (i.e. time and a half) for each hour worked exceeding 40 hours within one week (Sunday to Saturday) for one position. You will receive the overtime payment with your scheduled pay (refer to Payment Process).

If you are a poll official working on election day or at advance polls who is required to work overtime, you will be paid at a rate of one and one-half times your regular hourly rate (i.e. time and a half) for each hour worked exceeding 8 hours within one day (24 hours) for one position. You will receive the overtime payment with your scheduled pay (refer to Payment Process).

If you work on a designated holiday (as identified by Elections Canada), you will be paid at a rate of one and one-half times your hourly rate (i.e. time and a half) for each hour worked on the designated holiday. You will receive a supplementary payment for the difference (i.e. the additional 0.5 hours for each hour worked on the designated holiday) after election day.

Elections Canada Payment Inquiry Line

Within 14 days of election day, the Payment Inquiry Line will be set up at 1-800-823-8488 or LRP-PIL@elections.ca to answer questions about your pay.