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2021–22 Departmental Results Report

Details on transfer payment programs

Reimbursements to eligible candidates and political parties, and Subsidies to auditors of candidates, nomination contestants, leadership contestants and registered associations

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 departmental result(s) Canada maintains a fair, secure, and transparent electoral process free of undue influence.
Link to the department's Program Inventory Electoral Integrity & Regulatory Oversight
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program 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 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 2021-22 Not applicable
Findings of evaluations completed in 2021-22 Not applicable
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2021-22 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 2019–20 Actual
spending
2020–21 Actual
spending
2021–22 Planned
spending
2021–22 Total
authorities available for use
2021–22 Actual
spending (authorities used)
Variance (2021–22 actual minus 2021–22 planned)
Total grants 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total contributions 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total other types of transfer payments $79,779,355 ($12,099,538) $1,620,000 $65,405,165 $65,405,165 $63,785,165
Total program $79,779,355 ($12,099,538) $1,620,000 $65,405,165 $65,405,165 $63,785,165
Explanation of variances The variance of $63.8 million is primarily a result of the 44th general election which took place in September 2021. Because the timing of that election was unknown, Elections Canada did not include the estimated costs of election delivery and related transfer payments when it developed its Planned spending. The transfer payments include partial reimbursements to political parties and to candidates, and subsidies to candidates' auditors.

Aside from spending limits established by the Canada Elections Act, the agency has no control over the level of reimbursements to political entities. 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.