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ForewordReport on the 2019 By-elections

This report discusses the conduct of the four by-elections held in 2019 in the electoral districts of Outremont (Quebec), York–Simcoe (Ontario), Burnaby South (British Columbia) and Nanaimo–Ladysmith (British Columbia).

Under the Canada Elections Act, if one or more by-elections are held in a year, the Chief Electoral Officer must, within 90 days after the end of the year, produce a report that sets out "any matter or event that has arisen or occurred in connection with the administration of the Chief Electoral Officer's office since the last report and that he or she considers should be brought to the attention of the House of Commons."

These by-elections were the final opportunity to pilot and verify several initiatives before the general election in October 2019. The agency introduced an upgraded registration website, allowing first-time registrants to submit identification documents electronically. This secure service made the registration process easier and more accessible to new electors.

For the 2019 by-elections, the agency used a redesigned ballot, which is more accessible for electors and more efficient to print. There were no reports of issues or confusion from electors about the new ballot design.

In addition, the agency used new information technology hardware and software to simplify administrative and financial procedures for election administrators. It also streamlined election officer training, which resulted in providing more effective services to electors at the polls. Finally, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the experience of electors, the agency once again piloted a one-stop-service model for voting by special ballot in Elections Canada offices. Turnout for these by-elections ranged from 20 to 41.2 percent, which is in line with historical averages.

The 2019 by-elections took place in a changing legislative environment for the agency. In Frank v. Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Canadians living abroad could vote regardless of how long they had been living abroad. The ruling applied to all four by-elections. In addition, the passage of Bill C-76 brought several significant changes to the Canada Elections Act. However, the core provisions of the bill came into force after the by-elections had taken place.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the election workers, returning officers and field liaison officers who worked to ensure that their fellow Canadians could exercise their democratic right to vote or run for office in these four by-elections.