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Report on the Evaluations of the 40th General Election of October 14, 2008


2. Political Entities' Experience of the Election and Political Financing Regime

2.1 Candidates

Just over 1,600 candidates participated in the 40th general election. Candidates generally felt quite positive about the agency's service during the election and with the performance of their returning officer. Most candidates also reported positive experiences with the various administrative processes and activities associated with the election. Despite the widespread positive experiences, about one in five candidates encountered difficulties with the nomination requirements set by the Canada Elections Act. Most of those who had difficulties with the nomination requirements said they found it difficult to collect enough signatures in their ridings (54 percent).Footnote 8

Key findings – Candidates' perceptions

  • 79 percent found that the overall quality of service received from Elections Canada was satisfactory.
  • 79 percent were satisfied with the way the returning officer ran the election in their electoral district.
  • The timeliness of processing nominations, the all-candidate briefings and Elections Canada's information services also received high marks (96, 83 and 79 percent respectively).
  • Elections Canada's candidate-oriented tools were generally well received.

When it came to the use of tools provided by Elections Canada, 85 percent of candidates availed themselves of polling division maps, and approximately two-thirds made use of the voter lists (68 percent) and the "bingo card" (67 percent).Footnote 9 Perceptions of the bingo card were mixed – only a minority of those who used the card found it useful. Tools less widely used included the letter from the Chief Electoral Officer to facilitate access to public places (40 percent) and the GeoExplore Web mapping toolFootnote 10 (19 percent). Even though a minority of candidates used the letter, feedback we received from political parties indicates that they felt it was extremely useful. Furthermore, the vast majority (84 percent) of candidates who did not use or were not aware of GeoExplore expressed interest in using it in the future.

Candidates provided assessments of other aspects of the electoral process (e.g. the voter identification requirements); these are discussed in the relevant sections of this report. They also offered numerous suggestions to improve the conduct of federal elections, although no single suggestion was mentioned by more than 8 percent of them. The table below groups these suggestions into three categories.

Candidates' suggestions for improvementFootnote 11
Category
48% Voting or registration changes, for example:
  • Introducing on-line voting (8%)
  • Adopting proportional representation (7%)
  • Reducing voter eligibility requirements (5%)
  • Using electronic voter registration (3%)
  • A return to door-to-door enumeration (3%)
23% Administrative suggestions, for example:
  • Better training of Elections Canada staff (8%)
  • Reducing paperwork or bureaucracy (5%)
  • Adding polling locations (3%)
  • Increasing the timeframe for voting and elections (3%)
8% Communications issues, for example:
  • More election advertising (3%)
  • More accessible information for candidates and voters (3%)
  • Better organized information on the Elections Canada Web site (2%)

As part of the agency's ongoing commitment to administering the Act in a fair, consistent, effective and transparent manner, Elections Canada will be reviewing these suggestions and pursuing appropriate improvements to the electoral process for matters that fall within its mandate.

This was the first election in which Elections Canada was responsible for the appointment of returning officers. In the 40th general election, 85 percent of candidates were satisfied with their interactions with their returning officer; 60 percent expressed being very satisfied. This level of satisfaction establishes a benchmark for future electoral events.

2.2 Advisory Committee of Political Parties

In addition to surveying candidates, the Chief Electoral Officer held bilateral teleconferences after the election with members of the Advisory Committee of Political Parties. The results of these discussions generally mirrored the findings of the candidate survey: committee members were generally satisfied with Elections Canada's services and the overall administration of the election.

One of the main complaints that several committee members expressed relates to the holding of "candidate debates" in which not all candidates in a particular electoral district were given an opportunity to participate. This is a complex matter. The Act is ambiguous on this issue, which we intend to bring to the attention of Parliament in our recommendations report.

Committee members also made a variety of suggestions for improving various aspects of the electoral framework, such as voter identification, the political financing regime, the training of electoral workers, revision and the candidate nomination process.

Some suggestions require administrative changes, and the responsibility rests with Elections Canada to assess and implement them in preparation for future electoral events. Others require changes to the Act and will be considered as we prepare the recommendations report.

2.3 Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

The Chief Electoral Officer appeared before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs on February 24, 2009. This appearance was preceded by bilateral meetings with individual committee members.

During the appearance, members of Parliament raised several topics, including the recruitment, training and compensation of electoral workers; the quality and accuracy of the list of electors; turnout; barriers faced by students in proving their address; filming in polling stations; delays at some polling stations; and the security of ballot boxes. Elections Canada is considering these topics as it moves forward with electoral process improvements that fall within its mandate.

2.4 Regulatory Burden

The Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada on the 40th General Election of October 14, 2008, mentions that political financing rules have been amended repeatedly and significantly in the past few years. The provisions have become more complex and place greater burdens on political entities. As an illustration of this, the survey of candidates reveals that more than one in five (22 percent) had difficulty in finding someone willing, available and qualified to become their official agent. Candidates also believe that it is a difficult function with too much responsibility. Their perspective is borne out by focus groups that Elections Canada conducted with official agents and financial agents in the summer of 2008.

Agents' roles and responsibilities

Official agents are responsible for administering the financial transactions of a candidate's campaign, and reporting on those transactions in accordance with the Act. They are volunteers who might not possess detailed knowledge of the Act, or have bookkeeping or accounting experience. Many who accept the responsibility remain in the position reluctantly. One thing we heard in the focus groups was how hard it was to find someone to take over the role once the incumbent explained the rules to the new person. Most did not want to take over upon hearing of the rules and responsibilities.

Many agents agreed to take on the role before having fully appreciated the complexity of the rules stemming from the legislation. A common comment heard in the focus groups was, "If I had known what I was getting myself into, I would never have accepted."

Agents often experienced difficulty with the pace of the election, and with key steps, such as the timing of opening the campaign bank account and making deposits to or withdrawals from it, and what should happen at the very end of the process when, for example, surplus disposition has been resolved. They suggested that a one-page calendar showing key dates and responsibilities would be useful. Agents also stated they would like to get increased support from their partisan structures with regard to their role and responsibilities.

Elections Canada's support for agents

Once the election is underway and agents are identified to Elections Canada, we accompany them through the full cycle of their duties by providing training, various tools and a toll-free support desk.

During late October and November of 2008, we held 25 training sessions for agents in major centres across Canada. Attendance at these sessions totalled 272 individuals out of approximately 1,600. The sessions provided an overview of campaign financing and obligations of agents and candidates, outlined important dates, and demonstrated how to complete a candidate's return using Electronic Financial Return, an Elections Canada software application. Training facilitators answered as many questions from the audience as time permitted. Recent feedback strongly supports this training, with 96 percent of participants rating its quality as very good or excellent. However, while most said they were satisfied with their initial training, they also felt it could be improved, or that other, related tools would give that training more value.

Electronic Financial Return

Elections Canada encourages agents, as well as all other political entities, to use Electronic Financial Return in preparing and filing their return. There are several advantages to using it, for both the agents and Elections Canada. It increases the accuracy of returns, thereby reducing the number of corrections to be made, and it speeds up file processing and reimbursements. The need for fewer corrections and faster payments also reduces the administrative burden on political entities.

Issues of scheduling made access to training difficult for some agents, a fact reinforced by the survey of candidates: 28 percent indicated that no one from their campaign attended the information sessions on the financial requirements for candidates and their agents. Elections Canada is therefore exploring on-line training and tutorials, which agents could access at their convenience and at their own pace. We will, however, maintain in-person training sessions, as these provide an invaluable forum for exchange and dialogue between candidates' representatives and Elections Canada.

The tools Elections Canada provides to agents include multimedia kits containing videos, documentation such as manuals and sample forms, the Electronic Financial Return software and other reference materials. These materials are also available on the Elections Canada Web site. Participants in the focus-group sessions raised some issues about these tools; for example, some were seen as daunting, in terms of both the language used and the sheer length of the documentation. We have therefore launched an initiative to review and streamline the current tools.

We also correspond regularly with agents to remind them of their obligations, election expenses limits and filing deadlines. During the focus groups, most agents stated that Elections Canada's written communications were too frequent, formal and legalistic. Individuals struggled to understand the language of the formal correspondence and how it applied to their individual cases. Elections Canada is therefore reviewing its written communications with a view to addressing these elements, where possible.

The focus groups we conducted with agents showed that they generally viewed their interactions with the toll-free support deskFootnote 12 as constructive, and described our representatives as courteous, genuinely helpful, resourceful and available.

Complexity of the rules

During the focus-group sessions, participants – who represented various registered parties, including the five eligible to receive a quarterly allowance – revealed that becoming familiar with the Act and the requirements of their position is a major challenge. Agents struggle with the complex rules and requirements set out in the Act. Most stated that agents almost need to be financial experts to fulfill their role, while more than one professional accountant found the role of agent difficult.

Elections Canada can implement some limited administrative initiatives to ease the regulatory burden on political entities. However, the legislation itself drives most of the complexity that makes the current regime daunting. We will therefore examine whether aspects of the legislation can be improved with a view to reducing the regulatory burden, and will include possible improvements in our next report to Parliament on recommended changes to theAct.


Footnote 8 In most electoral districts, candidates are required by the Act to collect the names, addresses and signatures of 100 electors from the electoral district in support of their nomination.

Footnote 9 A statement of the electors who have voted on polling day.

Footnote 10 This tool allows the user to locate civic addresses, streets, municipalities, electoral districts and other similar information.

Footnote 11 Up to three suggestions per candidate were accepted.

Footnote 12 Elections Canada has a 1-800 number available to candidates, official agents and external auditors to help them understand their responsibilities. This service is available year-round, with extended hours during election periods and during the weeks leading up to a financial return filing deadline.