ARCHIVED - RPP 2007-2008
Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

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Section III – Supplementary Information

Elections Canada's Organization and Accountability

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, commonly known as Elections Canada, is headed by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), who is appointed by resolution of the House of Commons. Reporting directly to Parliament, the Chief Electoral Officer is independent of the federal government and political parties.

The Chief Electoral Officer is seconded by the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and Chief Legal Counsel (DCEO), and is supported by the following directorates:

• Operations, Register and Geography
• Outreach, Communications and Research
• Political Financing and Corporate Services
• Legal Services
• Information Technology
• International Research and Co-operation

The Canada Elections Act gives the CEO authority to appoint:

• the Commissioner of Canada Elections
• the Broadcasting Arbitrator
• a returning officer for each federal electoral district

The Act provides the statutory framework under which all these office-holders operate. In the case of returning officers, it also authorizes the CEO to provide them with instructions as required for the administration of the Act.

In addition, Elections Canada retains the services of 30 field liaison officers. They support the work of returning officers in the field, acting as functional leaders, quality enhancers and troubleshooters. They are responsible as well for liaising with the media at the local level.

The diagram below presents the agency's organizational structure and reporting relationships.

Elections Canada's Organizational Structure

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Financial Information

Program Activity

2007–08
Strategic Outcome: An electoral process that contributes to fairness, transparency and accessibility for all participants, in accordance with the legislative framework
($ thousands)	Budgetary		Total Main Estimates	Adjustments (planned spending not in Main Estimates)	Total Planned Spending
	Operating	Transfer Payments
Program Activity: Elections	75,379	29,043	104,422	–	104,422
Total	75,379	29,043	104,422	–	104,422

 

Table 1: Agency Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents

($ thousands)	Forecast Spending 2006–07	Planned Spending 2007–08	Planned Spending 2008–09*	Planned Spending 2009–10*
Program Activity: Elections	87,226	104,422	104,422	104,422
Budgetary Main Estimates (gross)	87,226	104,422	104,422	104,422
Less: Respendable revenue	–	–	–	–
Total Main Estimates	87,226	104,422	104,422	104,422
Adjustments	–	–	–	–
Supplementary Estimates	40,043	–	–	–
Other	–	–	–	–
Total Adjustments	40,043	–	–	–
Total Planned Spending	127,269	104,422	104,422	104,422
Total Planned Spending	127,269	104,422	104,422	104,422
Less: Non-respendable revenue	–	–	–	–
Plus: Cost of services received without charge	5,346	6,369	6,369	6,369
Total Agency Spending	132,615	110,791	110,791	110,791
Full-Time Equivalents	394	387	387	387

*

The agency’s planned spending provided for each fiscal period beyond 2007–08 is an indicator of statutory expenditures that the agency may incur during the year under the Canada Elections Act, the Referendum Act or the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. These and additional funds needed to carry out the agency’s statutory responsibilities will be drawn under the statutory authority, if necessary.

Table 2: Voted and Statutory Items Listed in Main Estimates

Vote or Statutory Item	Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording	2007–08 Main Estimates ($ thousands)	Previous Main Estimates ($ thousands)
15	Program Expenditures	21,766	21,468
(S)	Salary of the Chief Electoral Officer	231	224
(S)	Expenses of Elections	78,398	61,455
(S)	Contributions to Employee Benefit Plans	4,027	4,079
	Total Agency	104,422	87,226

Table 3: Services Received Without Charge

($ thousands)	2007–08
Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada	4,500
Contributions covering employer’s share of employees’ insurance premiums and expenditures, paid by Treasury Board Secretariat (excluding revolving funds)	1,760
Worker’s compensation coverage provided by Human Resources and Social Development Canada	4
Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by the Department of Justice	7
Audit services provided for the annual audit by the Office of the Auditor General	99
Total Agency	6,370

Table 4: Summary of Transfer Payments

Over the next three years, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer will manage transfer payment programs in excess of $5 million.

Program Activity: Elections (Statutory)	Forecast Spending ($ thousands)	Planned Spending ($ thousands)
	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10
Allowances to eligible political parties and auditors’ subsidies for electoral district associations (political financing provision, Canada Elections Act)	28,300	29,043	29,043	29,043
Reimbursement of candidates’ and political parties’ election expenses, as well as auditors’ subsidies*	–816
Total Transfer Payments	27,484	29,043	29,043	29,043

*	Amount resulting from reversal of a payable at year-end.

Table 5: Details of Transfer Payment Programs

Objective	Elections Canada’s role is to administer the Canada Elections Act, which has three main objectives: fairness, transparency and participation. The Act allows eligible registered political parties that obtain at least 2 percent of the total valid votes cast in the most recent general election, or 5 percent of the valid votes cast in the ridings where they endorse candidates, to be paid a quarterly allowance according to the following formula: the product of $0.4375 and the number of valid votes cast in the most recent general election preceding that quarter, multiplied by the inflation adjustment factor in effect for that quarter. The Act provides for a subsidy to the auditor of a registered electoral district association, up to a maximum of $1,500 of the expenses incurred for the audit. Registered electoral district associations that have, in a fiscal period, accepted contributions or incurred expenses of $5,000 or more must submit an audit report on their annual financial transactions return.
Expected results	Electoral events that are fair and accessible in the context of, and in accordance with, constitutional and legal requirements.
Outcomes for 2007–2008	Payments of quarterly allowances to eligible political parties and making payments of approximately $28.1 million by March 31, 2008. Subsidies to auditors of registered electoral district associations and making payments of approximately $900,000 by March 31, 2008.

 

Contacts for Further Information

Address:		Elections Canada 257 Slater Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0M6
Telephone:		1-800-463-6868 toll-free in Canada and the United States 001-800-514-6868 toll-free in Mexico 613-993-2975 from anywhere in the world For people who are deaf or hard of hearing: TTY 1-800-361-8935 toll-free in Canada and the United States
Fax:		613-954-8584 1-888-524-1444 toll-free in Canada and the United States
Web site:		www.elections.ca
Media Information
Telephone:		1-877-877-9515 613-993-2224 TTY 1-800-361-8935
Fax:		613-954-8584

 

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