2019–20 Departmental Performance Report

Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more

General Information

Name of transfer payment program	Reimbursements to eligible candidates and political parties (election year 2019–20) and subsidies to auditors of candidates (2019–20), nomination contestants (2019–20), leadership contestants and registered associations (ongoing)
Start date	1974
End date	Ongoing
Type of transfer payment	Other (not grants or contributions)
Type of appropriation	The program is appropriated through the Electoral Expenditures statutory authority.
Fiscal year for terms and conditions	Not applicable
Link to the agency’s program inventory	Electoral Integrity and Regulatory Compliance
Description	Elections Canada’s role is to administer the Canada Elections Act (the Act), which has three main objectives: fairness, transparency and participation. To promote fairness and participation, the Act provides for partial reimbursement of paid election expenses, personal expenses of candidates, travel and living expenses of candidates and accessibility expenses (for by elections and general elections); partial reimbursement of paid election expenses of registered parties and paid accessibility expenses (for general elections only); and a subsidy for eligible political entities’ audit fees. To be eligible for partial reimbursement of election expenses, candidates must be elected or obtain at least 10% of the valid votes cast in their electoral district. Registered parties must obtain at least 2% of the valid votes cast nationally or 5% of the valid votes cast in electoral districts where the party has endorsed candidates. A subsidy not exceeding $2,143.50 is sent directly to the external auditors of eligible political entities (candidates, registered associations, nomination contestants and leadership contestants). To qualify for an audit subsidy, an eligible entity must have accepted contributions or incurred expenses totalling $10,000 or more during the year. This transfer payment program does not include any refundable contribution.
Results achieved	Eligible political entities and auditors received statutory reimbursements and subsidies provided by law.
Findings of audits completed in 2019–20	Not applicable
Findings of evaluations completed in 2019–20	Not applicable
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2019–20	Elections Canada provides targeted recipient groups with tools, detailed information and training that explain the terms and conditions for eligibility to statutory reimbursements and subsidies.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2017–18 Actual spending	2018–19 Actual spending	2019–20 Planned spending	2019–20 Total authorities available for use	2019–20 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2019–20 actual minus 2019–20 planned)
Total grants	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total contributions	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total other types of transfer payments	$2,231,441	$1,489,449	$71,810,000	$79,779,355	$79,779,355	$7,969,355
Total program	$2,231,441	$1,489,449	$71,810,000	$79,779,355	$79,779,355	$7,969,355
Explanation of variances	The difference of $8.0 million is a result of the higher reimbursements to candidates and parties for the 43rd general election and is mainly due to the following two key factors: the enactment of Bill C 76, which was adopted after the agency’s planned spending was established the longer election calendar, which was 4 days over the minimum 36 day used to establish the planned spending. (Although this did not change the spending limits, it likely contributed to higher than expected spending within the limits.) Aside from spending limits established by the Canada Elections Act, the agency has no control over the level of reimbursements. The agency administers the transfer payment program in accordance with the Act. Planned spending amounts under the statutory authority are reported for information purposes only.