Site Menu2017–18 Departmental Results Report
Results: What we achieved
Program 1.1: Electoral Operations
Description
This program allows Elections Canada to deliver fair and efficient electoral events whenever they may be required so that Canadians are able to exercise their democratic right to vote during a federal general election, by-election, or referendum by providing an accessible and constantly improved electoral process responsive to the needs of electors.
Results
The following results within the Electoral Operations program were achieved to contribute to the agency's organizational priorities in 201718.
Conduct high-quality electoral events
Over the reporting period, Elections Canada delivered 11 by-elections.Footnote iii As required under the Canada Elections Act, the agency published a narrative reportFootnote iv along with Official Voting ResultsFootnote v accounting for all 11 by-elections held in 2017.
Modernize voter registration and electoral data services
As of March 31, 2018, research and consultations with various partners at the federal, provincial and territorial levels, including electoral management bodies (EMB), for optimizing, modernizing and obtaining new data sources were progressing as planned. Through these contacts, Elections Canada aims to identify new data sources for groups that are under-represented in the National Register of Electors (NROE), particularly youth and Indigenous electors. Also, in light of certain legislative amendments that are underway (Bill C-33, Bill C-76), the agency has been anticipating access to new data on non-citizens and seeking opportunities to leverage EMB data on pre-registered youth to improve the coverage, currency and accuracy of the NROE.
Over the reporting period, the agency also developed new geographic tools to estimate the driving distance between electors' home address and their assigned polling locations. These tools will improve Elections Canada's ability to optimize site locations and driving distances for electors in the 2019 general election. New proximity service standards will be considered in the selection of poll site locations, along with accessibility, suitability and availability. Ultimately, reducing the driving distance to polls by better designing advance poll districts and polling division boundaries will improve the voter experience, especially in remote and rural areas.
Improve voting processes
In 201718, Elections Canada worked on integrating services for voter list revision and special ballot voting. Harmonizing these services allows electors to complete any revision transaction (addition, move, correction) and vote at the same time, requiring their identity to be verified only once. The pilot for this new model, conducted during the fall 2017 by-elections, confirmed that having all transactions completed by a single agent increases efficiency and reduces wait times. The agency will implement the new model for any election called after September 2018.
As well, by the end of 201718, a contract was in place for the provision of e-poll books, which include electronic voters lists and records of procedures. The use of e-poll books aims to accelerate services to electors and reduce recordkeeping errors made by poll workers. The agency has set high standards for service delivery and security. To the extent that the initiative meets these standards, the agency will consider deploying the technology in by-elections or at advance polling stations in the 2019 general election.
Enhance front-line service delivery
During the reporting period, Elections Canada completed the implementation of a new organizational model that improves engagement practices with returning officers and field liaison officers. This "One Team" model also features renewed tools and training strategy, as well as a new communication approach, in order to be more efficient and improve election administrators' experience when dealing with the agency's headquarters.
Increase the inclusiveness of the electoral process
In 201718, Elections Canada developed an outreach plan and launched a pilot project designed to provide returning officers with the time, opportunity, and tools to engage leaders in remote Indigenous communities to better plan election services in those communities. More on this initiative can be found on the Elections Canada website.Footnote vi As of March 31, 2018, all planning for this engagement initiative was completed and the agency was ready to implement the plan in support of field work.
In the 42nd general election, Elections Canada piloted additional services points in 39 post-secondary institutions. Building on the appreciation from youth about the proximity of these services, the agency has worked on expanding the deployment scope to at least 110 campuses in the next general election.
Among its other targeted engagement initiatives, Elections Canada also re-launched the Inspire Democracy Program to encourage youth civic engagement and expand engagement of Indigenous electors, new Canadians, and people with disabilities.
Modernize services to candidates and political entities
In 201718, the development of the Political Entities Service Centre (PESC), Elections Canada's secure online portal for political entities, progressed as planned. Political parties tested the portal in June 2018. This online platform will offer a new point of self-service where candidates and political parties can access various services and products, such as the electronic nomination application, lists of electors, and the statements of electors who voted.
| Expected results | Performance indicators | Date to achieve target | 2017-18 Actual results (11 by-elections) |
2016-17 Actual results (1 by-election) |
2015-16 Actual results (42nd general election) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The electoral process is accessible and responsive to the needs of electors | Percentage of voters who are satisfied with their voting experience | March 2018 | Across the 11 by-elections held in 201718, 97% of voters were satisfied with their voting experience (80% were very satisfied). A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote vii | 98% of voters were satisfied with their voting experience. Specifically, 86% were very satisfied and 12% were somewhat satisfied with the experience. | No by-elections were held in 201516. Results from the 2015 general electionFootnote viii held that year are not comparable with by-elections. |
| Percentage of non-voters reporting administrative reasons as their main reason for not voting | March 2018 | Among electors who were aware of the by-election held in their electoral district but who did not vote, 10% said the main reason they did not vote was because of a problem related to the electoral process. A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote vii | Of those who were aware of the by-election but did not vote, only 3% said they did not vote for reasons related to the electoral process: 2% reported issues with voter information cards and 1% indicated a lack of information about the voting process. | ||
| Elections are delivered whenever they are called | Number of days required for all electoral offices to be fully functional | March 2018 | All offices were fully functional within six days of the start of the election period, meeting all operational targets. | All offices were fully functional within seven days of the start of the election period, meeting all operational targets. | |
| Percentage of eligible electors included on the list (coverage) | March 2018 | At the time of the 2017 by-elections, the average coverage of the preliminary lists was 92.1%. A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote ix | The proportion of eligible voters included in the preliminary list of electors was 91.4%. Historically, this figure has ranged from 91% to 94%. | ||
| Percentage of electors included on the list and at the correct address (currency) | March 2018 | At the time of the 2017 by-elections, the average currency of the preliminary lists was 85.2%. A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote ix | The proportion of eligible voters included in the preliminary list of electors at their current address was 87.1%. Historically, this figure has ranged from 81% to 86%. | ||
| Elections accurately reflect the choices Canadians make | Variance between the preliminary and official results (validated or subsequent to judicial recounts) | March 2018 | The average variance between preliminary results and validated results for the 2017 by-elections was 0.06%. | The variance between preliminary results and validated results for the 2016 by-election was 0.11%. | |
| Number of electoral districts where official election results have been overturned because of administrative errors | March 2018 | None. | None. | ||
| Canadian electors have opportunities to exercise their right to vote | Number of complaints that deal with accessibility of the voting process for people with disabilities | March 2018 | Of the 149 complaints filed by electors during the 11 by-elections held in 2017, 41 (27.5%) were related to accessibility for people with disabilities. A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote x | Of the 23 complaints filed by electors during the October 2016 by-election, three (13%) were related to accessibility for people with disabilities: one related to signage, one to walkways and pathways, and one to doors. | |
| The redistribution of electoral boundaries is effectively supported | Percentage of commissioners who are satisfied with the services and support provided by Elections Canada | March 2018 | Not applicable for 201718. | Not applicable for 201617. |
| 201718 Main estimates |
201718 Planned spending |
201718 Total authorities available for use |
201718 Actual spending (authorities used) |
201718 Difference (actual minus planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53,556,884 | 53,556,884 | 62,461,984 | 62,296,091 | 8,739,207 |
The net difference of $8.7M is mainly due to the conduct of 11 by-elections and to the preparations for the 2019 general election. (See Elections Canada's Financial Framework section for more information.)
| 201718 Planned | 201718 Actual | 201718 Difference (actual minus planned) |
|---|---|---|
| 257 | 277 | 20 |
The difference of 20 full-time equivalents is mainly a result of the requirement for additional temporary employees for increased involvement with returning officers leading to the next general election and for the conduct of 11 by-elections.
Program 1.2: Regulation of Electoral Activities
Description
This program provides Canadians with an electoral process that is fair, transparent, and in compliance with the Canada Elections Act. Within this program, Elections Canada is responsible for administering the political financing provisions of the Act. This includes compliance monitoring, disclosure, and reporting of financial activities.
Results
The following results within the Regulation of Electoral Activities program were achieved to contribute to the agency's organizational priorities in 201718.
Process and audit political financing returns
Throughout the reporting period, Elections Canada has continued to audit and report on political entities' financial returns within service standards.
In August 2017, the agency completed the audit of the election returns submitted by candidates following the 42nd general election.
Of the 33 candidates' election returns received following the four by-elections held in April 2017, 30 had been audited by March 31, 2018. Auditing was underway for the 9 additional election returns received in February 2018 from candidates in the two October by-elections.
May 31, 2017, was the deadline for electoral district associations (EDA) to submit their 2016 return. As of March 31, 2018, 82% of the 1,257 EDA returns had been audited.
By March 31, 2018, auditing of the returns from the 16 contestants who took part in the May 2017 leadership campaign for the Conservative Party of Canada was underway. As for the October 2017 New Democratic Party leadership campaign, the deadline for submitting returns was April 3, 2018, and the audit began in 201819.
Issue opinions, guidelines and interpretation notes
In 201718, Elections Canada developed and published five new opinions, guidelines, and interpretation notes (OGI) on its websiteFootnote xi to help political entities understand the political financing regime. Two interpretation notes deal respectively with volunteer labour and with contribution and commercial transactions. The other three documents consisted of updated political financing handbooks for candidates and their official agents, for electoral district associations and their financial agents, and for registered political parties and their chief agents. There were no external requests for new OGIs during the reporting period.
Formalize the Electoral Integrity Program
During fiscal year 201718, Elections Canada continued to build internal capacity to support the development of quality and risk management frameworks for elections, and further developed the capability to identify patterns, trends and integrity-related incidents. Activities of the Electoral Integrity Office focussed on supporting the development and implementation of the agency's key transformation initiatives, such as the e-poll book solution (electronic voters lists and records of procedures).
As mandated under the Canada Elections Act, the agency also coordinated the independent audit of poll workers performance for the 11 by-elections held in 2017. The three audit reports presented by the independent auditor (PricewaterhouseCoopers), which are available online,Footnote xii did not contain any new recommendations.
Develop a political financing training program for electoral district associations
As of March 31, 2018, 14 modules of the new online training program for electoral district associations had been published, and the two remaining modules of the suite were nearly completed. Work was still underway for modules geared towards candidates. These training programs provide political entities with clear and consistent information that enables them to comply with the political financing regime of the Canada Elections Act.
| Expected results | Performance indicators | Date to achieve target | 2017-18 Actual results (11 by-elections) |
2016-17 Actual results (1 by-election) |
2015-16 Actual results (42nd general election) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadians have confidence in how the electoral process is managed | Percentage of Canadian electors who believe that Elections Canada administers elections in a fair manner | March 2018 | 84% of electors thought that Elections Canada ran the by-elections fairly (very fairly at 62%). A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote vii | 89% of respondents who were aware of the by-election thought it was run fairly: 73% indicated that Elections Canada ran the by-election very fairly, with a further 16% saying somewhat fairly. | No by-elections were held in 201516. Results from the 2015 general electionFootnote xiii held that year are not comparable. |
| Percentage of candidates who express satisfaction with the way elections are administered | March 2018 | Not measured for by-elections. | Not measured for by-elections. | ||
| Canadians have timely access to accurate political financing data | Percentage of candidates' election returns that are available to the public within 30 days of filing | March 2018 | 100% of the 66 candidates' election returns were published on Elections Canada's website within 30 days of filing. | 100% of candidates' election returns (6 out of 6) were published on Elections Canada's website within 30 days of filing. | |
| Political entities understand and comply with their obligations under the Canada Elections Act | Percentage of candidates' election returns that are submitted within 4 months of election day | March 2018 | 56% of candidates' election returns (37 out of 66) were submitted within 4 months of election day; extensions were granted for the remaining 29 returns, 27 of which were submitted within their extension period. In all, 64 out of 66 (97%) were received within the initial or extended deadline. | 50% of candidates' election returns (3 out of 6) were submitted within 4 months of election day; extensions were granted for the remaining 3 returns, 2 of which were submitted within their extension period. | |
| Percentage of candidates who are satisfied with the tools and information provided by Elections Canada | March 2018 | Not measured for by-elections. | Not measured for by-elections. |
| 201718 Main Estimates |
201718 Planned spending |
201718 Total authorities available for use |
201718 Actual spending (authorities used) |
201718 Difference (actual minus planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,219,651 | 11,219,651 | 15,259,810 | 15,196,088 | 3,976,437 |
The net difference of $4.0M is mainly due to the execution of electoral services modernization projects, as well as reimbursements to candidates related to the 11 by-elections held over the period. (See Elections Canada's Financial Framework section for more information.)
| 201718 Planned | 201718 Actual | 201718 Difference (actual minus planned) |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | 79 | 4 |
The difference of 4 full-time equivalents is mainly a result of the requirement for additional temporary employees for carrying out electoral services modernization projects.
Program 1.3: Electoral Engagement
Description
This program promotes and sustains the Canadian electoral process. It provides Canadians with electoral education and information activities so that they can make informed decisions about their engagement in the electoral process. It also aims to improve the electoral framework by consulting and sharing electoral practices with stakeholders.
Results
The following results within the Electoral Engagement program were achieved to contribute to the agency's organizational priorities in 201718.
Provide support to Parliament
Throughout the reporting period, the agency continued to closely monitor parliamentary debate and remained engaged with parliamentary committees. Apart from the Interim and Main Estimates appearances, the acting Chief Electoral Officer appeared twice before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) to provide advice and propose technical amendments: on October 3, 2017, in relation to Bill C-50, which proposed a new regime for fundraising events and other amendments to the political financing provisions; and on November 30, 2017, on the study of the creation of an independent commissioner responsible for leaders' debates. Links to the minutes of these appearances are available on the Elections Canada website.Footnote xiv
Between October 2016 and June 2017, Elections Canada officials have appeared 18 times before PROC to provide technical assistance to Committee members during their in camera study of the Chief Electoral Officer's 2016 Recommendations Report. They also provided continued technical support and advice to officials in the Privy Council Office considering draft legislative amendments.
Elections Canada undertook numerous research projects to support the modernization of electoral services, its various programs, and legislative reforms, covering several topics including privacy, cyber-security, voting technology, registration of electors, leaders' debates, political financing, voting opportunities and barriers, voter information, and civic education. The projects also allowed the agency to identify prevailing approaches and practices in various jurisdictions, both in Canada and internationally.
Engage stakeholders
In 201718, Elections Canada held two meetings with the Advisory Committee of Political Parties (June and November 2017), one with the Advisory Group for Disability Issues (September 2017), and one with the Elections Canada Advisory Board (October 2017). Summaries are provided on the Elections Canada website, under "Advisory Groups."Footnote xv Input received from these standing committees influenced the agency's decision to host an integrated Demonstration Day in April 2018 to obtain stakeholder input on a wide range of voter services and related voter communications campaigns.
Communicate with electors
In 201718, the agency initiated the development of its media placement strategy to ensure that citizens know when, where, and the ways to register and vote. By March 31, 2018, the development of the new Voter Information Campaign was progressing well and the agency was on track to meet all deliverables on time for the 43rd general election. Based on internal consultations, two different creative concepts were developed and tested during Demonstration Day in April 2018, and the agency was planning to conduct focus groups with Canadians to gauge their preferences between both concepts.
Promote civic education and Canada's Democracy Week
Fiscal year 201718 was transitional in terms of civic education. Elections Canada focussed its efforts on the development of new curriculum-linked, pedagogically sound education materials, designed to respond to the needs that educators identified in 201617. A new Advisory Circle of Educators, with representatives from every province and territory and First Nations schools, was formed and met twice during the year. Between February and mid-April 2018, 35 teachers across the country piloted the new education resources with their students to assess the real classroom impact. Engagement also took place with key teacher leaders across Canada.
The seventh Annual Canada's Democracy Week was successfully delivered between September 15 and 21, 2017. A national event was held with 150 high school students, who came to Ottawa from across Canada. It featured the acting Chief Electoral Officer and 14 other speakers in a living library experience, which gave the students a first-hand encounter with leaders involved in Canada's democracy. Two new online resources were launched, including Frequently Asked Questions based on real questions from students, and a snapshot of learning resources in every province and territory, to make the electoral process better known to students at the primary and secondary levels and increase their interest in democratic participation.
Participate in international assistance and cooperation
In 201718, Elections Canada participated in two separate events with le Rιseau des compιtences ιlectorales francophones (RECEF), and attended three international forums with electoral management bodies from the Commonwealth.
The agency also hosted six delegations of election administrators and foreign parliamentarians who came to learn about Elections Canada' processes, and took part in two events to keep abreast of international trends in electoral administration. In doing so, Elections Canada contributed to the international body of knowledge on elections and gained insight on projects pursued by other national electoral management bodies.
| Expected results | Performance indicators | Date to achieve target | 2017-18 Actual results (11 by-elections) |
2016-17 Actual results (1 by-election) |
2015-16 Actual results (42nd general election) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadians have the information they need to engage in the electoral process | Canadian electors' recall rate of the Elections Canada advertising campaign | March 2018 | Across the 11 by-elections held in 2017, 64% of electors indicated that they had seen an advertisement from Elections Canada about when, where, and the ways to vote for the by-election held in their riding. A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote vii | 67% of electors indicated that they had seen an advertisement from Elections Canada about how, when, and where to vote in the by-election. Among those who noticed advertising, the primary sources were newspapers (37%), radio (32%) and TV (22%). Moreover, 25% stated that they recalled getting information about the by-election from their voter information card. | No by-elections were held in 201516. Results from the 2015 general electionFootnote xvi held that year are not comparable. |
| Percentage of Canadian electors using voting options other than polling day voting | March 2018 | Across the 11 by-elections held in 2017, 22% of electors used options other than election day voting: 18% voted at the advance polls and 2% voted either at an Elections Canada office or by mail. A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote xvii | 20% of electors who voted in the October 2016 by-election used options other than election day voting: 17% voted at the advance polls and 3% voted at an Elections Canada office or by mail. | ||
| Percentage of Canadian electors who report that they knew when, where, and ways to register and vote | March 2018 | Across the 11 by-elections held in 2017, 89% of electors said they felt informed of when, where, and ways to vote in the by-election held in their riding (68% felt very well informed). A detailed breakdown is available online.Footnote vii | 93% of eligible voters said they felt informed in terms of how, when, and where to vote: 75% felt very informed; 18% felt somewhat informed. | ||
| Elections Canada is effective in promoting its civic education program and mobilizing stakeholders to carry out voter education | Number of orders for Elections Canada's civic education materials | March 2018 | 3,825 civic education products were distributed throughout the year. | 2,937 civic education products were distributed throughout the year. | |
| Number of stakeholders involved in Elections Canada's education activities | March 2018 | Elections Canada engaged with 140 Canadian educators to redesign and pilot new civic education materials. Moreover, 20 stakeholder organizations were involved in Elections Canada's civic education events and activities. | Elections Canada engaged with 1,765 Canadian educators as part of the civic education needs assessment. Moreover, 18 stakeholder organizations were involved in Elections Canada's civic education events and activities. | ||
| Electoral agencies and international organizations benefit from assistance and co-operation in electoral matters | Number of official requests for international assistance to which Elections Canada responds | March 2018 | Elections Canada did not receive any formal requests for international electoral assistance. | Elections Canada did not receive any formal requests for international electoral assistance. | |
| Parliamentarians have timely access to evidence-based information on existing and emerging electoral issues | Proportion of recommendations endorsed by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs | March 2018 | After a third interim reportFootnote xviii, the Committee had unanimously endorsed 70 of the 132 recommendations (53%) made by the Chief Electoral Officer in 2016. Of the 83 substantive recommendations, the Committee unanimously supported 64 (77%). Of the 49 proposed minor and technical amendments, the Committee supported 6 (12%). | At the end of the fiscal year, the Committee had tabled two interim reports in which it endorsed 57 recommendations. At the time of this report, the study of the CEO's 132 recommendations by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs had not been completed. |
| 201718 Main Estimates |
201718 Planned spending | 201718 Total authorities available for use |
201718 Actual spending (authorities used) |
201718 Difference (actual minus planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9,279,980 | 9,279,980 | 10,836,390 | 10,793,892 | 1,513,912 |
The net difference of $1.5M is mainly a result of advertising campaigns for the recruitment of returning officers across Canada.
| 201718 Planned | 201718 Actual | 201718 Difference (actual minus planned) |
|---|---|---|
| 67 | 72 | 5 |
The difference of 5 full-time equivalents is largely explained by the hiring of additional temporary employees to support civic education.
Internal Services
Description
Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.
Results
The following results within Internal Services were achieved to contribute to the agency's organizational priorities in 201718.
Asset renewal
Over the reporting period, Elections Canada continued the implementation of its multi-year investment plan to maintain, replace or upgrade assets that are critical for the delivery of more accessible, convenient and efficient electoral services to Canadians. The agency ensured that high project management standards, aligned with best practices, were in place to oversee the Transformation Agenda. A new draft investment plan was also developed to identify forthcoming priorities.
As part of its asset renewal activities, Elections Canada continued to progress with the implementation of its new Case Management System (CMS). The centralized platform will improve how the agency captures and manages all types of enquiries, from web forms to phone calls and emails coming from field staff and the general public. It will allow faster, more consistent, and accurate responses.
Another key project was a common identity and access management solution to allow for a number of services to be more conveniently accessed by internal and external stakeholders, including political entities, and staff working at Elections Canada headquarters and in the field. As of March 31, 2018, activities towards the new common identity and access management solution were on track and progressing well.
The new business model for the recruitment, training, and remuneration of election workers had to be realigned. A Request for Proposals, issued in January 2018, resulted in no successful bid. Due to the lack of time left before the 43rd general election for finding and implementing a new solution, it was decided to use the existing pay system, with limited updates. The agency will resume these efforts after the election.
Internal audit planning and response activities
The renewal of Departmental Audit Committee membership was completed in 201718 without interrupting the Committee's normal operations over the period. More details on the internal audit functions, including annual reports, are available on the Elections Canada website.Footnote xix
Information management and information technology security
Over the reporting period, Elections Canada implemented additional measures to improve its cyber-security posture. As part of these efforts, the design and supply chain integrity assessment for major IT transformative projects was completed in consultation with the Communications Security Establishment (CSE).
By March 31, 2018, a new data-hosting service with a range of additional protections had been procured and the transition to this new service was in progress. Elections Canada's Security Assessment and Authorization Process had also been renewed, and activities to acquire cyber defence services from CSE and Shared Services Canada (SSC) were well underway and on track to be in place for the 43rd general election.
Over the reporting period, Elections Canada also progressed with the renewal of its information technology infrastructure towards a secure, flexible, and sustainable network that meets current business and technical requirements.
In order to ensure a sound decision-making process and program service delivery based on relevant and reliable information, Elections Canada also progressed with the implementation of GCdocs, the Government of Canada's solution for managing and sharing electronic information.
Human resources and workforce
In 201718, Elections Canada developed and implemented a mental health strategy as a concrete commitment to promote, encourage and support health, safety, and well-being in the workplace. An accompanying mental health action plan also identifies a number of tools and resources available to employees to support a healthy working environment.
| 201718 Main Estimates |
201718 Planned Spending |
201718 Total Authorities Available for Use |
201718 Actual Spending (authorities used) |
201718 Difference (actual minus planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38,151,475 | 38,151,475 | 43,326,216 | 43,199,650 | 5,048,175 |
The net difference of $5.0M is mainly due to additional information technology professionals required to support ongoing operations, the execution of asset renewal projects, and the payment of retroactive salaries following new collective agreements.
| 201718 Planned | 201718 Actual | 201617 Difference (actual minus planned) |
|---|---|---|
| 152 | 178 | 26 |
The difference of 26 full-time equivalents is mainly due to hiring additional temporary employees in information technology and in compensation services.