Thirty-seventh General Election 2000: Official Voting Results: Synopsis

ELECTORS

In contrast to previous general elections, this one was not preceded by a door-to-door enumeration. For the first time in the history of federal general elections, the preliminary voters lists were produced entirely from the National Register of Electors and the registers for Canadians outside Canada and Canadian Forces electors. The National Register of Electors, created in 1997, is regularly updated with data provided by various partners of Elections Canada: the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, provincial and territorial registrars of motor vehicles and vital statistics, and the electoral agencies of Quebec and British Columbia, which both maintain permanent lists. Voters lists from provincial and territorial elections are also used to update the Register where agreements are in place.

Pursuant to Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act, separate lists of electors were prepared for three classes of electors voting under the Special Voting Rules: incarcerated electors serving sentences of less than two years, Canadian Forces electors and Canadian electors temporarily residing outside Canada. The registration of incarcerated electors from November 14 to 16, 2000, resulted in the addition of 5 521 electors to the list of electors. The list of Canadian Forces electors was prepared by the coordinating officer based on these electors? statements of ordinary residence, in accordance with sections 195 to 198 of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act. This list contained the names of 57 082 electors. Canadians temporarily residing outside Canada were able to enter their names in the International Register of Electors by completing the Registration Form and Guide for Special Ballot and forwarding it to Elections Canada in Ottawa not later than 6:00 p.m. on November 21, 2000. A total of 19 230 electors registered in this way.

The preliminary voters lists produced using the National Register of Electors totalled 19 395 489 electors. During the revision period, which ended on November 21, 2000, there were 2 483 800 revisions: 1 324 944 names were added, 467 207 electors changed addresses within their electoral districts, 365 170 names were deleted, and 310 821 elector registrations were modified. The additions were primarily electors who were not previously registered in the National Register of Electors. In addition, 15 658 electors added their names to the voters lists under the Special Voting Rules.

The nature of the revisions turned out to be similar from one region to another, the addition of electors being the most frequent revision activity in most provinces (see Figure E).

To modify the voters lists during the revision period, electors normally had to contact the office of their returning officer in person, or by mail. If the modifications were minor and the elector still lived in the same electoral district, changes could be made by phone. In all cases, the elector was required to provide proof of identity and of residence.

At the end of the revision period, there were 20 370 921 electors on the revised voters lists, that is, 975 432 or 5.03% more electors than on the preliminary lists.

On election day, 1 049 519 electors registered at the polling stations, that is, 8.8% of the total number of electors who voted on election day. This number includes electors who changed addresses within an electoral district. The total number of electors appearing on the final lists under section 109 of the Canada Elections Act is 21 243 473.

FIGURE E
Revisions to the voters lists, by province
or territory – 37th general election 2000

 

 

TABLE C
Number of electors registered, by source or
method of registration – 37th general election 2000

*	Excludes electors in the Canadian Forces, incarcerated electors serving sentences of less than two years and electors in the International Register of Electors.
**	Includes only net additions to the official voters lists; does not include changes of address within an electoral district.
***	Refer to the Note to the Reader section for information about the final lists and electors who registered at the polls.

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