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Section II – Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Strategic Outcome

An electoral process that contributes to fairness, transparency and accessibility for all participants in accordance with the legislative framework.

Program Activity Name: Elections

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Authorities	Actual Spending
$87,226	$118,673	$115,216

Human Resources (FTEs)

Planned	Actual	Difference
361	396	35

Our Program Activity Architecture (PAA) comprises one main strategic outcome (above) and one program activity – Elections. In 2006–2007, this program was committed to providing four key results for Canadians:

• delivering federal elections, by‑elections and referendums that maintain the integrity of the electoral process, and administering the political financing provisions of the Canada Elections Act
• achieving and maintaining a state of readiness to deliver electoral events whenever they may be called, and improving the delivery of electoral events
• providing timely and high-quality public education and information programs, as well as assurance that support on electoral matters is available to the public, parliamentarians, political entities and other stakeholders
• administering the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, under which readjustment of federal electoral boundaries is carried out by independent commissions after each decennial (10‑year) census to reflect changes and movements in Canada’s population

We also identified a number of major initiatives to improve our internal services and operations, with the aim of increasing efficiency and ultimately our ability to deliver our strategic outcome more effectively. The initiatives planned for 2006–2007 were described in the 2006–2007 Report on Plans and Priorities as “Key Program 5: Other Programs and Services.”

Key Program 1: Electoral Event Delivery and Political Financing

Expected Results:

The successful delivery of federal elections, by‑elections and referendums that maintain the integrity of the electoral process, the administration of the political financing provisions of the Canada Elections Act, and compliance with electoral legislation.

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Authorities	Actual Spending
$31,161	$40,689	$40,239

Performance Highlights

Sub-program	Commitment	Status	Results
Electoral Event Delivery	Submit a statutory report on administration of general elections	The report on the 39th general election was submitted to the Speaker of the House on May 12, 2006.	Elections Canada disseminated information on the conduct of the election in a timely fashion to Canadians, political parties and Parliament. The agency administered electoral events transparently.
	Submit a report containing recommendations arising from the administration of the elections, using surveys and evaluations	Elector surveys and more than 40 evaluations were conducted following the 39th general election. A number of findings led to improvements in electoral event delivery; some were implemented during the November 2006 by‑elections in London North Centre and Repentigny.	Elections Canada’s Public Opinion Survey of Electors showed an increase in voter satisfaction for the 39th general election compared to the 38th general election. Among the results: 98% of voters in the 39th general election said they found it easy or somewhat easy to vote. This represented an increase of 5% from the 93% response to the same question following the 38th general election in 2004.
	Publish the official voting results	The official voting results were posted on the Elections Canada Web site.	Elections Canada made voting results readily available to Canadians.
	Conduct an evaluation of polling day activities in Trinity–Spadina during the 39th general election (unplanned)	Elections Canada implemented this audit’s recommendations on improving operations.	Elections Canada will evaluate the effectiveness of the changes during future electoral events.
	Conduct by‑elections in London North Centre and Repentigny (unplanned)	By‑elections were delivered successfully.	As a result of our policy of being ready at all times to conduct elections, Elections Canada delivered these by‑elections successfully. The agency also conducted pilot projects during the events to enhance administration of the electoral process and improve accessibility. Evaluations showed that the pilot projects will benefit future electoral events.
	Submit a statutory report on the administration of the by‑elections (unplanned)	The report was submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons on March 28, 2007. The report detailed the conduct of electoral activity and provided a further update on agency activities from the time of the 39th general election.	Elections Canada disseminated information on the conduct of the by-elections in a timely fashion to Canadians, political parties and Parliament. The agency administered electoral events transparently.
Political Financing	Administer the provisions of the Canada Elections Act related to political financing	Elections Canada continued to administer the provisions of the Act by reviewing the returns of candidates, nomination contestants, registered associations and political parties.	Elections Canada administered the financial provisions of the Act fairly, consistently and efficiently.
	Administer the provisions on political financing under the Federal Accountability Act, which came into force on January 1, 2007 (unplanned)	Elections Canada successfully implemented the new political financing provisions of the Federal Accountability Act. The agency updated all material (guides, manuals and forms) and trained staff on the new provisions.	Elections Canada is ready to administer the new provisions of the Federal Accountability Act related to political financing.
Compliance and Enforcement	Assess and investigate complaints about contraventions of the Canada Elections Act related to the 39th general election and the November 27, 2006, by‑elections. Continue investigating open files from the 38th general election.	Elections Canada investigated 647 cases since the 38th general election. Using a new tool implemented in September 2006, the agency issued 120 caution letters. It entered into 25 formal compliance agreements. It conducted six prosecutions, two of which are ongoing.	90% of all complaints received (3,241 out of 3,591) since the 38th general election have been resolved.

Electoral Event Delivery

Completing the Cycle of the 38th and 39th General Elections

The Chief Electoral Officer prepared his report on the activities of the 39th general election held on January 23, 2006, and presented it to the Speaker of the House of Commons on May 12, 2006, pursuant to subsection 534(1) of the Canada Elections Act. This requires the report to be submitted to the Speaker of the House no later than 90 days after the return of the writs.

For statutory reports by the Chief Electoral Officer, click here.

After the 39th general election, Elections Canada undertook more than 40 evaluations of its programs and projects with various stakeholders. These included an exhaustive post-mortem on voter registration services and field technology support. The purpose was to identify short-, medium- and long-term enhancements to improve service delivery and election management.

Did you know? During the 55 days of the 2006 general election, the Voter Information Service (VIS) on the Elections Canada Web site received 1,465,751 visits. This compared with 676,130 visits in 2004 – a 116% increase. The visitors were able to find answers to their questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in a flexible and easy-to-use format.

All election materials and supplies returned to Elections Canada from across the country after the 39th general election were sorted. Reusable materials were stored. If certain materials had to be kept under the Canada Elections Act in case they might be needed for review or evaluation of a contested decision, they were stored appropriately in a secure facility.

Elections Canada also undertook an audit on election day registration in the Ontario riding of Trinity–Spadina after the January 23, 2006, federal election. The audit found no evidence of any organized or systematic attempt to influence the outcome of the election results through abuse of the election day registration process. The audit was conducted in response to concerns about the high number of election day registrations, raised by a member of Parliament during a June 2006 appearance of the Chief Electoral Officer before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

The audit did identify areas in which operations could be improved. As a result, and in accordance with our ongoing efforts to ensure adequate administrative controls on electoral procedures, Elections Canada has implemented changes to field operations related to polling day registration processes:

• For cases in which an elector registers and another elector vouches for his or her identity, a new form has been created to record the name and address of the vouching elector.
• The poll book has been changed to make it easier to record information on vouching electors.
• A removable summary page was added to the poll book for use in recording the number of voters with registration certificates.
• Poll closing procedures have been modified, requiring central poll supervisors to ensure that the number of registration certificates returned to the office of the RO corresponds to the number of voters with certificates recorded on the removable page in the poll book.
• If a certificate cannot be located even after the central polling place has been searched, the RO must report the situation to the Elections Canada Support Network.
  

These changes will be in effect in future electoral events.

For the report on the audit, Polling Day Registrants in the Riding of Trinity–Spadina for the 39th Canadian General Election, click here.

Surveys of Electors

Immediately after the 39th general election, Elections Canada commissioned a Public Opinion Survey of Electors to measure public opinions, attitudes and knowledge of our various electoral processes. The survey was also designed to improve our understanding of the values, attitudes and electoral behaviours among groups that are less likely to vote, such as youth and Aboriginal people. The responses will be taken into account in the agency’s ongoing efforts to improve electoral processes.

Indicator of Success In 2006, 98% of voters found voting procedures somewhat easy or very easy – an increase of 5% from 2004. – Survey of electors, Elections Canada

Highlights of the survey were published in the Chief Electoral Officer’s statutory report on the 39th general election. The survey results showed high levels of satisfaction with all aspects of delivery of the election. Several indicators showed improvements over the delivery of the 38th general election in 2004.

Satisfaction Level – Electoral Event Delivery (%)
Elements Surveyed	2004	2006	Difference
Percentage of electors who said they received their voter information card	85	89	+4
Of the respondents who received a voter information card, percentage who did not report any error in their personal information, such as registration status or address	95	96	+1
Percentage of electors who recalled seeing or hearing a non-partisan ad encouraging people to vote	50	52	+2
Percentage of electors who recalled hearing the slogan “Why not speak up when everyone is listening?”	56	70	+14
Percentage of electors who found voting procedures somewhat easy or very easy	93	98	+5
Percentage of voters who said they were satisfied with the distance they had to travel to the polling station	93	97	+4
Percentage of voters who said they were satisfied with the information they received at the polling station	91	97	+6
Percentage of voters who said they were satisfied with the language spoken at the polling station	96	98	+2

A presentation on the results of the survey was provided to the Advisory Committee of Political Parties on October 13, 2006.

For information on the report, click here.

Canadian Election Study

Elections Canada also partnered with the 2006 Canadian Election Study (CES). This is a research project undertaken by academics from the Université de Montréal, McGill University, the University of New Brunswick and the University of Toronto. The study is based primarily on a two-wave survey of Canadian voters. The main goal is to better understand voter behaviours. Elections Canada contributed to a campaign-period survey and a post-election survey, and participated in the design of over 30 survey questions of interest to the agency. The questions dealt with voter registration and voting, Elections Canada advertising, election financing, political engagement (party membership) and representation. The CES data set was published in January 2007. Elections Canada’s participation in the study allowed for academic monitoring and extensive collection of longitudinal data on federal elections. It also provided support for important research on the Canadian democratic process and generated material for ongoing academic research.

Following are some of the findings of the study:

CES Question	Percentage
Saw or heard an ad saying “Why not speak up when everyone is listening?”	43
Knew that this was an Elections Canada ad	16
Did not know who had sponsored the ad	46
Thought ad was sponsored by a political party	31
Reported having received their voter information card	91
Name and address were accurate	97
Believed that “the public has the right to know the sources from which political parties, candidates and electoral district associations get their money”	96
Favoured the ban on direct contributions from corporations and unions to registered political parties	60
Opposed the ban	5
Said that they had made a financial contribution at least once to:
a federal political party	15
the electoral district association of a federal political party	8
a candidate in a federal election	7
Supported the principle of public funding for federal political parties	35
Supported the current eligibility criteria for public funding (2% of the votes nationally or 5% of the votes in electoral districts where a political party presents candidates)	57
Opposed the existence of an eligibility threshold for public funding	40
As opposed to imposing rules, would rather let political parties decide how to increase their number of candidates who are:
Women	75
Youth	77
Aboriginal people	76
People from visible minorities	78

Notes:

Comparisons between 2004 and 2006 are not possible because the same questions are not necessarily repeated from one study to another.

For more details and information on the 2006 Canadian Election Study, click here.

Estimation of Voter Turnout by Age Group

Elections Canada again conducted a study to estimate voter turnout rates by age group in the 39th general election, as it had done for the 38th general election in 2004. The aim was to enhance our understanding of voting patterns by age group, with a focus on youth. Under the Chief Electoral Officer’s authority, Elections Canada took data compiled for the purpose of administering the electoral process and used the information to create a sample of electors who voted at an advance poll, by special ballot or at a polling station on election day. To develop estimates by age group, we obtained the year of birth of each sampled elector from the National Register of Electors. For the 2006 general election, the estimated overall turnout increased by 4.4 percent nationwide and in all age groups except the oldest (75 years and over, where it dropped by 2.3 percentage points). The overall increase is concentrated among the three youngest groups (under 45 years old). The turnout rate for the youngest group (18- to 24-year-olds) was 43.8 percent in 2006, compared with 37.0 percent in 2004 – a notable 6.8 percent increase.

A report on the findings is being finalized and will be posted on the Elections Canada’s Web site.

By-elections in London North Centre and Repentigny

On August 28, 2006, Benoît Sauvageau, the Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament for Repentigny since October 25, 1993, died, leaving his seat vacant.

On September 20, 2006, the Honourable Joseph Frank Fontana, the Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament for London North Centre since November 21, 1988, resigned, creating a second vacancy.

Writs were issued on October 22, 2006, directing the returning officers in the two ridings to conduct by‑elections on November 27, 2006. The by‑elections were successfully conducted as scheduled.

The two by‑elections were a test bed for a number of pilot initiatives and improvements to electoral systems and processes, arising from the various evaluations and post-election surveys described earlier in this report. They included:

• collection of voter information cards (VICs) from electors at the polling station entrance to reduce their potential misuse
• collection of abandoned VICs by letter carriers from various locations (e.g. apartment buildings) and capturing of the addresses
• posting of notices at polling stations, reminding electors of the penalties for voting more than once
• use of a large print ballot mock-up for visually challenged voters, and development of a new template for these electors in close consultation with them
• visits to any address with more than four electors to confirm that all resided there, and removal of persons no longer residing at the address from the electors list to prevent misuse of their VICs
• testing by deputy returning officers and poll clerks of the Quick Reference Guide – a new reference aid for poll officers featuring a summary of key procedures; feedback was very positive

The evaluation of these pilot projects was positive and the improvements will be in place for future electoral events.

Following the by‑elections and in accordance with subsection 534(2) of the Canada Elections Act, the Chief Electoral Officer submitted a report on the administration of the by‑elections to the Speaker of the House of Commons on March 28, 2007. The report also gave details of the administration of Elections Canada for the period from the 39th general election until the by‑elections.

For statutory reports by the Chief Electoral Officer, including the report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada following the November 27, 2006, by‑elections held in London North Centre and Repentigny, click here.

The official voting results for the by‑elections were posted on the Elections Canada Web site, along with other information considered pertinent by the Chief Electoral Officer.

For official voting results of electoral events, click here.

Political Financing

Since the 39th general election, Elections Canada has continued to fulfill its mandate of administering the financial provisions of the Canada Elections Act. On January 1, 2007, the Federal Accountability Act came into force, including new political financing provisions. To help political entities meet their obligations under the new legislation, Elections Canada produced new guides, manuals, videos, software and other information products.

In 2006–2007, Elections Canada received:

• 1,628 completed candidate electoral campaign returns for contributions, expenses and other election-related financial transactions (These represented 99.5 percent of all candidate returns. As of the end of the fiscal year, only 8 candidates – 0.5 percent of the total – had yet to file a complete return and either did not seek an extension or missed the extended deadline granted by the Chief Electoral Officer or a judge.)
• election expense returns from the 15 registered parties in the 2006 general election
• fiscal returns from the 12 parties that were registered in 2005
• statements of assets and liabilities from three new registered parties, which are required to file fiscal returns for 2006
• quarterly financial transaction returns from the five registered parties entitled to quarterly allowances because they each received either 2 percent of valid votes cast in the 2006 election or 5 percent of valid votes in electoral districts in which they endorsed candidates

Candidate Filing Comparison: 39th and 38th General Elections
	39th GE		38th GE
Filed within four-month filing deadline	1,226	74.9%	1,381	81.9%
Filed within CEO extension deadline	323	19.7%	255	15.1%
Filed within court extension deadline	69	4.2%	28	1.7%
Total filed on time	1,618	98.9%	1,664	98.7%
Total filed late	10	0.6%	9	0.5%
Total not filed	8	0.5%	13	0.8%
Total filed	1,636	100.0%	1,686	100.0%

39th GE (Jan. 23, 2006). Filing deadline: May 23, 2007. Data as of Aug. 23, 2007.

38th GE (June 28, 2004). Filing deadline: Oct. 28, 2005. Data as of Jan. 28, 2006.

In 2006, Elections Canada received, from electoral district associations (EDAs), the following:

	2006		2005
	As of Aug. 31, 2007		As of Aug. 31, 2006
Total filed by May 31 – return and Audit Report (AREP), where applicable	764		571
Total filed within extended deadline – return and AREP, where applicable	237		331
Total filed late – return and AREP, where applicable	59		58
Total filed – return and AREP, where applicable	1,060	91.9%	960	87.6%
Total outstanding with extensions (return not yet due)	45	3.9%	15	1.4%
Total not filed – return and/or AREP, where applicable (no extensions)	49	4.2%	121	11.0%
Total required to file a report (2006 – 1,154, 2005 – 1,096)	1,154	100%	1,096	100%

Notes:
1.	Total number of electoral district associations (EDAs) that complied with the May 31 EDA return filing deadline increased 33% in 2006 from 2005 (571 to 764).
2.	Total number of non-filing EDAs decreased 60% in 2006 from 2005 (121 to 49).

For information on the financial reports, click here.

Compliance and Enforcement

The Commissioner of Canada Elections, appointed by the Chief Electoral Officer, has the duty to ensure that the Canada Elections Act is complied with and enforced. Any matter that is covered by an offence provision under the Canada Elections Act may be the subject of a complaint or referral to the Commissioner.

Legislative changes took effect with the coming into force of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, contained in the Federal Accountability Act (Bill C-2). The Director of Public Prosecutions Act transfers the authority to initiate and conduct a prosecution under the Canada Elections Act from the Commissioner to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Bill C-2 made no changes to the Commissioner’s powers to investigate, enter into compliance agreements and apply for injunctions during an election period. The Commissioner therefore continued to assess complaints or referrals and, where warranted, to conduct investigations during 2006–2007.

During the period of this report, the Commissioner undertook the following activities:

• Preliminary assessment of all 3,591 complaint files opened since the 38th general election in 2004. Of these, 3,241 have been resolved and 350 remain open.
• Investigation of 647 cases considered of a serious nature opened since the 38th general election. Some cases were found to be unsubstantiated; in others, the offenders came into compliance with the law as a result of the investigation, when they were able to do so. The Commissioner also issued caution letters, negotiated and signed compliance agreements, and launched prosecutions.
• Informal enforcement activities:
  • The Commissioner used this approach when letters and responses from offenders provided satisfactory explanations resolving matters of non-compliance.
  • In some cases, the Commissioner issued caution letters to offenders, advising them of violations of the Act. The letters were sufficient to achieve satisfactory resolution of cases of apparent non-compliance. The Commissioner issued 120 caution letters since the adoption of this new tool on September 28, 2006.
• Formal enforcement actions:
  • The Commissioner entered into 25 compliance agreements since the 38th general election.
  • The Commissioner conducted six prosecutions since the 38th general election. These have resulted in three convictions and one finding of guilty with no penalty (discharge). Two cases are still pending.

	For details of convictions, click here.
	For details of the terms of compliance agreements, click here.

 

Key Program 2: Electoral Event Readiness and Improvements

Expected Results:

Achieve and maintain a state of readiness to deliver electoral events whenever they may be called, and improve the delivery of electoral events.

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Authorities	Actual Spending
$47,459	$70,918	$68,435

Performance Highlights

Sub-program	Commitment	Status	Results
Electoral Event Readiness and Improvements	Well-trained staff and election officers	Completed	All 308 electoral districts were staffed with fully trained returning officers, hired through a merit-based process and ready to deliver an election. The Field Liaison Officer Program significantly enhanced the quality of service to Canadians by providing Elections Canada in Ottawa with more timely communications with field staff and insight that improved decision making. Field liaison officers provided orientation to new ROs in the regions. This prepared ROs to receive more extensive training. It also allowed the training period in Ottawa to be shortened from eight to six days. Feedback from ROs and others showed a high level of satisfaction with the comprehensive training programs.
	Up-to-date electoral processes, systems, databases and materials	A number of systems, databases, equipment and technology agreements have been updated and improved.	Elections Canada has improved its information technology capacity and can provide uninterrupted service. To be evaluated in future electoral events.
	Maintain a state of readiness to deliver general elections	Elections Canada is ready to deliver a general election.	Elections Canada maintained its capacity to deliver electoral events at any time during the period.
	Improve the National Register of Electors	Ongoing	Targets for improving coverage and currency were met. Preliminary lists of electors were prepared for October 2006 and March 2007. Lists for the latter date contained 92% of all eligible electors (meeting the coverage target of 92%), with 84% of them listed at their current address (exceeding the accuracy target of 77%). New information-sharing agreements yielded further improvements – for example, by providing for more data from federal sources to be updated monthly instead of quarterly.
	Maintain relationships with strategic partners and pursue initiatives with them to improve electoral event-readiness processes, systems and databases	Our ongoing relationship-building has improved the quality, currency and coverage of electors’ lists.	Elections Canada has improved coverage and currency of the National Register of Electors as a result of collaborative working relationships with provincial and territorial electoral jurisdictions, as well as with federal partners that have common interests in addressing and geography.
	Improve content and accessibility of Elections Canada Web site	Ongoing	Short-term changes have enhanced the presentation of information and significantly improved accessibility for visitors with special needs. The Web site now meets the Treasury Board Secretariat Accessibility Guidelines. Elections Canada will further test and evaluate effectiveness in 2007–2008.
Advertising Programs	Review advertising programs, improve delivery and define metrics	New creative concepts have been developed for use in the next general election, based on evaluations from the 39th general election.	The improved effectiveness of our advertising programs will be evaluated during the next general election.
Technology Renewal	Continue development and deployment of new IT and communications equipment necessary for the fulfillment of Elections Canada’s mandate	A number of systems, databases, equipment and technology agreements have been updated and improved.	The effectiveness of these improvements will be evaluated during the next general election.
Electoral Technology Accord	Developments under the Accord are ongoing. A three-year work plan was proposed to federal and provincial chief electoral officers at their July 2007 conference.	Ongoing	The Accord allows for enhanced service delivery and quality, while reducing technology costs through shared systems and data models. To be evaluated during future electoral events.
Voter Registration Review	Continue strategic review of voter registration	A series of consultations with stakeholders produced a report recommending a new vision for voter registration.	The outcome is the development of a new vision of how voter registration could be enhanced for federal elections in Canada, and an implementation strategy that would result in further improved quality, currency and coverage of the lists of electors. The strategy would also reflect the modernization of the voter registration process, potentially increasing the number of options available to electors for registration.

Electoral Event Readiness and Improvements

In view of the results of the 39th general election, Elections Canada placed the utmost priority on achieving the necessary state of readiness to conduct another general election, a by‑election and/or a referendum.

Did you know? When a general election or referendum is held, approximately 180,000 election workers are required in 308 ridings across the country. The positions in each riding include deputy returning officers, poll clerks, revising agents, registration officers, information officers, automation coordinators, data entry staff and security officers.

Accordingly, much of our activity in 2006–2007 centred on preparing for the 40th general election by implementing a number of recommendations arising from the post-election evaluations.

Returning Officers

Elections Canada’s post-event evaluations with returning officers resulted in recommendations that were implemented and tested during the by‑elections held on November 27, 2006, in London North Centre and Repentigny (see section under Key Program 1, “Conducted by-elections in London North Centre and Repentigny”).

Did you know? Between December 2006 and April 2007, 26 selection committees across Canada conducted merit-based processes to recruit returning officers. Each committee had three members: the field liaison officer of the region where the competition was to be held (serving as chair), a field liaison officer from another region and a human resources specialist.

In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Accountability Act, which received royal assent on December 12, 2006, the Chief Electoral Officer reappointed 190 of the previous 308 ROs after consultations with the leaders of the political parties represented in the House of Commons. An open competition was held for the RO positions in the other 118 electoral districts after the Federal Accountability Act came into force.

The appointments were followed up with training sessions for all ROs and assistant ROs.

Field Liaison Officer Program

We continued to develop the Field Liaison Officer Program, which was first introduced during the 38th general election. This year, FLOs were more involved in the pre-planning activities conducted by ROs. They also played an important role in the selection of ROs, chairing the selection committees.

Election Materials

We purchased new materials as required to augment existing supplies and assembled them for the next general election. ROs have received the first shipment of materials, including forms and manuals. Other election materials are ready for shipping from Ottawa as soon as the writs are issued for the next election.

Making electoral information more accessible After the 39th general election, Elections Canada reviewed its Web site (www.elections.ca) to assess the nature and accessibility of information presented to electors. The Web site now meets the Treasury Board Accessibility Guidelines for government Web sites. Further evaluation is planned for 2007–2008 to confirm the effectiveness of the changes that have been made.

Field Readiness

Elections Canada has undertaken multiple waves of pre-event activities to ensure that each riding is election-ready. Key activities include:

• polling division revision to improve accessibility
• planning for targeted revision
• identifying and hiring key staff
• identifying and maintaining an office location, including verification of telephony requirements (lines and handsets to be leased)

National Register of Electors

Elections Canada maintained strategic relationships with major federal partners during 2006–2007. These enabled the agency to obtain key data for use in improving the quality, currency and coverage of lists of electors.

• As a result of negotiations completed with the Canada Revenue Agency and with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, we now receive data updates monthly instead of quarterly to maintain elector information or add new electors to the Register.
• We obtained the Generalized Record Linkage System from Statistics Canada and are now implementing it. The system will improve record matching. It will also allow closer collaboration with Statistics Canada and Canada Post to develop a common addressing and geography network in time for the 2011 Census.
• We worked with Canada Post to conduct outreach mailings. These allowed us to confirm voter registration information for more than 1 million eligible electors.
• With the Canada Revenue Agency, we worked on legislative amendments providing for the addition of a question concerning citizenship to the income tax form, alongside the question asking for consent to transfer the filer’s name and address information to Elections Canada. By answering the question, filers explicitly declare their citizenship status and allow the information to be given to Elections Canada. This allows new electors, particularly youth, to be added to the Register without putting Elections Canada to the cost and effort of separately confirming their citizenship. The change was included in Bill C-31, which received royal assent in June 2007. As a result of further negotiations with the Canada Revenue Agency, tax filers will have the opportunity to declare their citizenship status on their income tax returns for 2007.

We made further improvements to the Register as a result of strategic relationships with key provincial and territorial driver’s licence and vital statistics bureaus, and electoral agencies. These include increasing address currency, eliminating duplications, identifying potential new electors and removing deceased electors from the Register on a timely basis. Elections Canada also shares its data with provincial electoral agencies to help improve the accuracy of their lists of electors.

Elections Canada is working with Elections Ontario and the Ontario Municipal Property Assessment Corporation to determine the feasibility of developing a single source of elector information for Ontario. This work will continue in 2007–2008.

Our relationships gave us access to multiple data streams. We benefited as well from procedural changes, such as more frequent updates. As a result, the lists of electors prepared for March 2007 as part of regular readiness activities contained 92 percent of all eligible electors, with 84 percent of them listed at their current address. This met our coverage target of 92 percent and exceeded our accuracy target of 77 percent.

These figures are slightly lower than those in our 2005–2006 Departmental Performance Report, which estimated that 94 percent of all eligible electors were listed, with 85 percent of these at their current address. The higher figures resulted from the integration of timely and high-quality updates from the 39th general election revision process; these customarily help to improve Register quality.

Elections Canada made efforts to check suspected non-residential addresses in the Register. By March 2007, we identified 19,000 such addresses, with a total of 32,000 electors associated with them. Through visits by ROs, 10,100 of these addresses were confirmed to be non-residential and the names of the associated electors were removed from the list. Another 140,000 addresses have been identified where electors potentially no longer reside. Activities are under way to verify the status of the addresses and the associated electors.

Improving Services to Canadians During the year, Elections Canada completed a major polling division revision exercise. This resulted in the revision of 10,000 polling divisions. Contributing to the exercise were returning officers, members of Parliament, political parties and local riding associations. The revisions will make voting more accessible for Canadians and will improve the administration of polling station activities.

In 2006–2007, Elections Canada signed new agreements with the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia to share and maintain geographic information, including a digital national road network. As a result of these agreements and other collaborations, over 92 percent of electors were georeferenced (that is, linked to a point on a map) in the National Geographic Database, enabling them to be assigned to a polling division. This is a slight rise from the 91 percent of electors who were georeferenced following the 39th general election. To maintain or increase this rate will involve maintaining existing partnerships and attempting to establish new ones with other jurisdictions.

Special Voter Registration

Elections Canada began redevelopment of the systems that support the Special Voting Rules for electors unwilling or unable to vote at a polling station. The aim is to replace obsolete technology, accommodate program expansion and establish a foundation for continued growth.

Major Incident Management

The winter timing of the 39th general election raised awareness of the need to be ready for any major incident, such as a storm, power outage or other threat that could affect the conduct of an electoral event. Elections Canada reviewed and enhanced its plan for detecting and responding to a major incident during a general election or a by‑election, and resuming electoral operations as soon as possible afterwards.

Advertising

Elections Canada conducted an evaluation of the advertising and outreach programs used for the 39th general election. This included evaluating the effectiveness of the programs, particularly as they were received by Aboriginal people, ethnocultural communities, youth and electors with special needs. Given the short interval between the 38th and 39th general elections, the materials and programs for the two electoral events were essentially the same.

Recommendations from the evaluation included developing new creative materials with simpler visual elements and messages, as well as maintaining ongoing communications with youth between electoral events. Our evaluation of the effectiveness of our programs for the 39th general election also came from the Public Opinion Survey of Electors. Among its findings are the following:

• Three quarters of Canadians (76 percent) recalled seeing a radio, television or newspaper ad from Elections Canada.
• 15 percent of Canadians recalled seeing all three types of ads.
• 32 percent recalled seeing two of the three types of ads.
• Recollection of ads among youth and Aboriginal persons mirrored the general response levels.
• Collectively, just over half of those surveyed liked the ads to some degree.
  

These results have been taken into consideration in reviewing the advertising programs for the next general election.

We have also developed new creative concepts in advance of the 40th general election, building on the theme of social responsibility. We will also be working to develop a new evaluation framework, with performance indicators and benchmarks.

Technology Renewal

Elections Canada has identified a number of upgrade, replacement and enhancement initiatives for its technology and systems. We began developing and implementing these changes in 2005–2006, and the process continued in 2006–2007. Key elements included the following:

• We completed an upgrade of the Corporate and Register database in September 2006. This included testing of all applications at Elections Canada in Ottawa, and validation that they are compatible with the new database.
• We upgraded and began testing the application systems that operate in local Elections Canada offices. We completed RFP preparations for the replacement of the information technology hardware for the field offices. Final testing of new hardware and software for local Elections Canada offices is expected to be completed in October 2007. All systems are expected to be operational by the fall of 2007.

Voter Information Service

In the past fiscal year, Elections Canada implemented additional features and enhancements to the Voter Information Service, which responds to questions and requests for electoral information from the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We enhanced the public self-service Web site by adding links and data safeguards, and including on-line employment applications for use at election time. We upgraded the Voice Response System, providing a dynamic menu structure that updates the options available to callers as an electoral event progresses.

Electoral Technology Accord

In spring 2004, Canadian federal and provincial electoral agencies signed the Electoral Technology Accord. Its objective is to enhance service delivery and quality of electoral services, lower technology costs, and reduce the threat of technology obsolescence. Since then, a working group comprising most of the jurisdictions has been active on several fronts. A workshop was held in February 2007 on the challenges of training adult learners and identifying opportunities to develop joint training materials to be shared among agencies. The political financing component of the common data model was expanded in 2006–2007. The purpose and direction of the Accord were re-examined at the Chief Electoral Officers Conference in July 2007, at which time a three-year work plan was proposed to the Accord members.

Voter Registration

Elections Canada continued its strategic review of voter registration after the 39th general election. The review was conducted alongside preparations for the 40th general election, with the contribution of all stakeholders. A series of consultations was held with Elections Canada staff, returning officers, field liaison officers, political parties, chief electoral officers from other jurisdictions and data suppliers. The consultations identified a new vision for voter registration to be considered. The new vision could further improve the quality of the list of electors and help modernize the voter registration process, ultimately providing electors with more registration options.

Key Program 3: Public Education, Information and Support for Stakeholders

Expected Results:

Provide timely and high-quality public education and information programs, as well as assurance that support on electoral matters is available to the public, parliamentarians and political entities.

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Authorities	Actual Spending
$8,606	$7,066	$6,542

Performance Highlights

Sub-program	Commitment	Status	Results
Voter Education and Outreach Programs	Evaluate and enhance outreach programs	Ongoing	In future electoral events, Elections Canada will evaluate the effectiveness of voter education and outreach programs in increasing knowledge and awareness among certain target audiences, as well as raising voter turnout.
Stakeholder Information and Support	Provide expert advice and support to stakeholders (i.e. parliamentarians)	Successfully met	Legislation before Parliament in 2006–2007 stemmed from recommendations by the Chief Electoral Officer, who also made numerous appearances before various committees to provide expert advice.
International Assistance	Help emerging democracies develop capacity to deliver electoral events meeting internationally recognized standards	Elections Canada led the International Mission for Monitoring Haitian Elections and the Canadian Mission for Accompanying Haitian Elections.	Elections Canada made an important contribution to Haiti’s electoral capacity, a vital aspect of longer-term democratic development, good governance and security. Haiti held parliamentary, local and municipal elections that met internationally recognized standards. In an appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on May 30, 2006, the Director of Haiti’s Conseil électoral provisoire, Jacques Bernard, reported that the International Mission contributed in important ways to the success of electoral events in Haiti.
	Share information and expertise with other electoral authorities and international organizations	Successfully met	Elections Canada received numerous international delegations, and participated in various national and international fora for the exchange of electoral knowledge and expertise.

Voter Education and Outreach Programs

After the 39th general election, Elections Canada conducted a post-mortem on our outreach initiatives targeting youth, Aboriginal people, ethnocultural communities and electors with special needs. The post-mortem determined that most initiatives undertaken during the election were quite successful. One of the most significant recommendations emerging from this process was that the agency should expand outreach programs to the period between elections. Other initiatives taken as a result of the post-mortem exercises include the following:

• In view of the success of Student Vote 2004 and 2006, Elections Canada is renewing its support for this program for the 40th general election. The program targets Canadian students who have not yet reached voting age. It aims to develop a habit of participation by giving them the opportunity to vote in a parallel election simulation for the candidates in their school’s electoral district.
• The “Aboriginal Voters” section of the Elections Canada Web site was reorganized to make relevant information more accessible.
• Elections Canada renewed its partnership with the Assembly of First Nations in December 2006. We are now partnering with the Assembly for the development of a First Nations voter education campaign.
• Elections Canada also developed a database of colleges and universities, including location, contacts, number of students and number of residences. This will facilitate the planning and delivery of services to students.

Stakeholder Information and Support

Elections Canada continued to provide stakeholders with timely and high-quality information, advice, products and support in 2006–2007.

The Chief Electoral Officer was invited to appear before House and Senate committees to discuss the administration of elections, reports and recommendations to Parliament, and legislation that amends the Canada Elections Act or the Referendum Act. The Chief Electoral Officer made 12 appearances during 2006–2007, as follows:

Date	Committee	Topic
Appearances by Jean-Pierre Kingsley:
April 27, 2006	House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs		Bill C-4, An Act to amend An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act (sunset clause)
May 3, 2006	Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs		Bill C-4, An Act to amend An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act (sunset clause)
May 16, 2006	House of Commons Legislative Committee on Bill C-2		Bill C-2, Federal Accountability Act
May 30, 2006	House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development		Study on Haitian Elections, 2006
June 13, 2006	House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs		Report on the 38th general election, recommendations; study on the election of members to the House
September 19, 2006	Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs		Bill C-2, Federal Accountability Act
September 26, 2006	House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs		Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (fixed election dates)
October 26, 2006	House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs		Government response to the Committee’s report, Improving the Integrity of the Electoral Process
November 1, 2006	House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development		Study on democratic development
December 7, 2006	House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs		Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act (identification at the polls)
January 31, 2007	Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs		Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (fixed election dates)
Appearances by Marc Mayrand:
March 22, 2007	Parliamentary Advisory Panel on the Funding and Oversight of Officers of Parliament (in camera)		To present the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, describe its sources of funding and the challenges it faces, and initiate a discussion on the annual appropriation it receives from Parliament.

Following adoption by Parliament of the Federal Accountability Act and its amendments to the Canada Elections Act, Elections Canada reviewed and updated all of its information products affected by the changes, including information sheets providing the agency’s interpretation of certain provisions of the new legislation. As described earlier in this report, one of the consequences of the new law was a change in the way that returning officers are appointed.

Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act, was introduced in Parliament in 2006–2007. Some elements of the legislation stem from recommendations made by the Chief Electoral Officer in his 2005 report entitled Completing the Cycle of Electoral Reforms, submitted following the 38th general election.

International Assistance

Through multilateral programs, Elections Canada continued to help emerging democracies develop their institutional capacity for delivering electoral events that strive to meet internationally recognized standards and criteria. This included support for Haiti’s parliamentary, presidential, local and municipal elections. Elections Canada led the International Mission for Monitoring Haitian Elections (IMMHE) and the Canadian Mission for Accompanying Haitian Elections (CMAHE). These activities were carried out in co-operation with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency, which also provided funding.

In the past fiscal year, we monitored the second round of parliamentary elections held in Haiti on April 21, 2006. This involved deployment of long- and short-term observers, conducting expert assessments, and producing interim statements and a final report in five languages.

For further information on Haitian elections, visit the IMMHE Web site.

CMAHE provided electoral guidance, advice and observation from October to December 2006 for municipal and local elections in Haiti.

Elections Canada made an important contribution to Haiti’s electoral capacity, a key aspect of Canada’s support for Haiti’s long-term democratic development and security. Our efforts were recognized by members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development as well as a number of witnesses during the Committee’s studies of Haiti and Canada’s role in international democratic development.

A Global Role Elections Canada’s electoral expertise and knowledge enables Canada to play a leading role in supporting democratic processes around the world.

The mission in Haiti was modelled on the International Mission for Iraqi Elections (IMIE), also led by the Chief Electoral Officer and carried out in 2005–2006. The IMIE’s successes were recognized in May of this year by Iraq’s ambassador to Canada, who noted that Elections Canada “provided effective, concrete assistance to Iraq’s democratic process.”

During the year, Elections Canada officials received 15 international delegations of electoral officials, met overseas with electoral officials from other countries 14 times and had a number of speaking engagements before various fora such as the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations, the International Organization for Migration, and the Global Electoral Organization Network. These activities provided a valuable opportunity to share electoral expertise internationally. They are an indication of Elections Canada’s significant contribution to Canada’s leading role in supporting democratic processes around the world.

Key Program 4: Electoral Boundaries Redistribution

Expected Results:

Administer the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, under which federal electoral boundaries are readjusted by independent commissions after each decennial (10‑year) census to reflect changes and movements in Canada’s population.

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Authorities	Actual Spending
$0	$0	$0

Electoral boundaries redistribution was last completed in 2003–2004. Once we receive the 2011 Census return, redistribution will begin again.

Other Programs and Services

(Note: Financial resource included under Key Program 2)

Performance Highlights

Sub-program	Commitment	Status	Results
Human Resources Modernization	Formalize human resources plans and services in the context of the Public Service Modernization Act	Work is ongoing to formalize human resources plans. Policies and guidelines have been developed to support modernization and the new Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Public Service Employment Act. This work will continue into 2007–2008.	Elections Canada has met all statutory deadlines.
	Review key human resources management performance indicators	Completed	The agency is complying with its Staffing Management Accountability Framework.
Modern Management Practices	Develop performance management framework	A draft corporate logic model was developed by late March 2007. Work will continue in 2007–2008.	In progress.
	Review Strategic Plan	Elections Canada developed a new draft Strategic Plan in 2006–2007 but it was not finalized for several reasons, including the appointment of a new Chief Electoral Officer and the introduction or consideration of significant electoral reforms in legislation. The agency decided to initiate a new strategic planning process in June 2007.	A new Strategic Plan will be completed in 2007–2008.
Audit and Assurance Services	Implement Internal Audit framework in accordance with the new Treasury Board Policy.	Elections Canada is currently implementing the requirements for internal audit in the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Audit, including the development of a three-year risk-based audit plan.	In progress.
	2006–2007 financial statements audit	Completed	The Office of the Auditor General issued an unqualified opinion on the financial statements. For the second consecutive year, a formal management letter was deemed unnecessary.
	Respond to Auditor General’s recommendations	Elections Canada will continue to address the recommendations of the Auditor General.	Elections Canada followed up on specific commitments made in response to the 2005 audit recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. A master list and status report of the actions completed are planned for review by the agency’s Audit Committee in 2007–2008.

Human Resources Modernization

Elections Canada has been working to formalize its human resources plan in the context of the Public Service Modernization Act. In 2006–2007, we developed policies and guidelines to support modernization and the new Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Public Service Employment Act. This work included preparing and providing mandatory policies, guidelines, terms of reference, briefing notes to management, information for employees and information sessions for management on the Public Service Modernization Act, and staffing sub-delegation training for managers. We also reviewed our key human resources management performance indicators to improve human resources planning, development and management. The Staffing Management Accountability Framework identifies a total of nine indicators. According to the Public Service Commission’s first Departmental Staffing Accountability Report, Elections Canada met seven of the nine indicators, with the remaining two classified as “in progress.”

Modern Management Practices

Performance Management Framework. Elections Canada completed the first step toward developing a corporate performance management framework by late March 2007, with a documentation review conducted by key managers. This led to the preparation of a draft logic model. Work is continuing toward the development of an overall performance framework for Elections Canada in 2007–2008.

Review of Strategic Plan. Elections Canada developed a new draft Strategic Plan in 2006–2007, but it was not finalized because a new Chief Electoral Officer took office and significant electoral reforms were being considered or introduced in legislation. Elections Canada decided to initiate a new strategic planning process in June 2007. A new Strategic Plan will be completed in 2007–2008.

Internal Audit

Elections Canada is currently implementing the requirements for internal audit in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Audit.

The 2007–2008 financial statements of Elections Canada were audited by the Office of the Auditor General. The Office of the Auditor General issued an unqualified opinion on the financial statements. For the second consecutive year, a formal management letter was deemed unnecessary.

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