Instructions issued pursuant to section 179 to adapt the Special Voting Rules

Section 179 of the Canada Elections Act (Act) authorizes the Chief Electoral Officer to issue, in the context of general elections, instructions to adapt or apply the Special Voting Rules set out in Part 11 (sections 177 to 282) of the Act to a particular circumstance. These instructions are issued when the Chief Electoral Officer considers it necessary in order to execute the intent of the Special Voting Rules. The Chief Electoral Officer has the same power in a by-election context by virtue of section 179 of the Special Voting Rules as Adapted for the Purposes of a By-election. He or she may issue instructions for the purpose of applying or adapting these Special Voting Rules to a particular circumstance. Instructions may be issued at any time, during an election period or between elections. They can be made applicable only for the purposes of a particular election or may apply continuously until rescinded by the Chief Electoral Officer or rendered obsolete. Instructions issued or used during an election are reported to the Speaker of the House of Commons in accordance with section 534 of the Act.

Instructions in effect

By-elections

• 179-B-2023-01 – Administration of the voting procedure provided by section 241 of the Special Voting Rules as Adapted for the Purposes of a By-election
• 179-B-2022-01 – The elector's declaration verification procedure under Divisions 6 and 7 of the Special Voting Rules as Adapted for the Purposes of a By-election
• 179-B-2020-04 – Preservation of the right to vote of an elector who is no longer able to vote by special ballot
• 179-B-2020-03 – Spoiling or setting aside the special ballot that is not accompanied by the elector's declaration
• 179-B-2020-02 – Preservation of the right to vote of an elector to whom an election officer provided erroneous information
• 179-B-2020-01 – Preservation of the right to vote of an elector registered in error in the wrong electoral district

General election

• 179-G-2021-03 – Instructions for the elector's declaration verification procedure under Divisions 6 and 7 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• 179-G-2019-14 – Instructions to permit the administration of the vote at an elector’s dwelling place for certain electors
• 179-G-2019-11 – Counting of certain ballots and special ballots under Divisions 6 and 7 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• 179-G-2019-09 – Setting aside the special ballot marked by a person who is not qualified as an elector
• 179-G-2019-07 – Preservation of the right to vote of an elector who is no longer able to vote by special ballot
• 179-G-2019-06 – Spoiling or setting aside the special ballot that is not accompanied by the elector's declaration
• 179-G-2019-05 – Preservation of the right to vote of an elector to whom an election officer provided erroneous information
• 179-G-2019-04 – Additional voting days under Divisions 2 and 5 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• 179-G-2019-03 – Satisfactory proof of residence of an elector whose pieces of identification do not include a civic address
• 179-G-2019-02 – Setting aside the vote cast by an incarcerated elector who indicated a correctional institution as his or her place of ordinary residence
• 179-G-2019-01 – Preservation of the right to vote of an elector registered in error in the wrong electoral district

Previous instructions (without effect)

General elections

• 179-G-2021-10 – Instructions to permit the counting of certain ballots under Division 6 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• 179-G-2021-09 – Instructions aimed at allowing additional voting days to be held under Divisions 5 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• 179-G-2021-07 – Instructions to permit the counting of certain ballots under Division 7 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act (Gaspésie – Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine)
• 179-G-2021-06 – Instructions to permit the counting of certain ballots under Division 7 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act (Burlington and Don Valley West)
• 179-G-2021-05 – Instructions to permit an elector whose application for registration and special ballot has been accepted to vote at their polling station on polling day
• 179-G-2021-04 – Instructions aimed at allowing different voting procedures to be held under Division 2 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• 179-G-2021-02 – Instructions to facilitate the vote by special ballot for local electors in certain circumstances
• 179-G-2021-01 – Instructions to permit the appointment of a deputy special voting rules administrator, etc.
• 179-G-2019-17 – Instructions to permit the counting of certain ballots (Thornhill)
• 179-G-2019-16 – Instructions to permit the counting of certain ballots (Spadina–Fort York)
• 179-G-2019-13 – Instructions to permit the counting of certain ballots (Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Sœurs)
• 179-G-2019-12 – Appointment of additional special voting rules administrators to facilitate the counting of the votes under Division 6 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• 179-G-2019-10 – Additional voting day under Division 5 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• 179-G-2019-08 – Elector's declaration verification procedure under Divisions 6 and 7 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act
• October 17, 2015 – Applications for registration and special ballot misplaced by returning officer
• October 15, 2015 – Special ballots cast without completed applications
• October 15, 2015 – Incarcerated electors unable to vote because of error by liaison officer
• October 13, 2015 – Special ballots cast in office of returning officer with no outer envelopes
• September 30, 2015 – Instructions to facilitate the sending of special ballots to certain non‑resident electors
• September 22, 2015 – Setting aside of elector's special ballot and preservation of elector's right to vote where elector is given erroneous information by an election officer
• September 18, 2015 – Instructions to set aside the outer envelope of one or more Canadian Forces electors who voted before the start of the voting period because of a deputy returning officer's error
• August 10, 2015 – Instructions to delay the sending of special ballots to certain international electors

By-elections

• 179-B-2022-04 – Administration of the voting procedure provided by section 241 of the Special Voting Rules as Adapted for the Purposes of a By-election
• 179-B-2022-03 – Instructions to facilitate the vote by special ballot for local electors
• 179-B-2022-02 – Instructions to permit an elector whose application for registration and special ballot has been accepted to vote at their polling station on polling day
• 179-B-2020-07 – Instructions to permit the counting of a special ballot under Division 6 of the Special Voting Rules as Adapted for the Purposes of a By-election
• 179-B-2020-06 – Instructions to permit the appointment of a deputy special voting rules administrator
• 179-B-2020-05 – Elector's declaration verification procedure under Divisions 6 and 7 of the Special Voting Rules as Adapted for the Purposes of a By-election
• May 11, 2015 – Adaptation to delay the application of certain Special Voting Rules procedures