Elections Canada

{{Short description|Canadian federal agency in charge of elections and referendums}}

{{Infobox government agency

|agency_name = Elections Canada

|nativename = Élections Canada

|logo = Elections Canada Logo.svg

|logo_width = 150px

|formed = {{start date|1920|07|01}}{{Cite web |publisher=Elections Canada |date=2022-09-13 |title=How we began |url=https://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=100/com&document=index&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=elections.ca}}

|jurisdiction = Canada (federal)

|headquarters = 30, rue Victoria
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M6

|employees = 500 (Permanent) up to 235,000 (election period)

|budget = $628,864,260 (2021–22){{Cite book |last1=Perrault |first1=Stéphane |title=2021–22 Departmental Results Report |last2=LeBlanc |first2=Dominic |publisher=Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada |year=2022 |pages=19 |issn=2371-8218 |url=https://www.elections.ca/res/rep/dpr/drr2022/drr2022_e.pdf}}

|chief1_name = Stéphane Perrault

|chief1_position = Chief Electoral Officer of Canada

|website = [http://www.elections.ca/ www.elections.ca]

|footnotes =

}}

Elections Canada ({{langx|fr|Élections Canada}}) is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering Canadian federal elections and referendums{{efn|Legally, Elections Canada is a name under which the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada ({{langx|fr|Bureau du directeur

général des élections du Canada|italic=y}}) conducts electoral administration and oversight of political funding.{{Cite web |publisher=Elections Canada |date=October 2021 |title=The Chief Electoral Officer and His Office - Overview of Elections Canada and the Federal Electoral System Briefing Book (October 2021) |url=https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=oec&document=p1&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=www.elections.ca}} Elections Canada itself is not a legal entity – the chief electoral officer exercises most powers or delegates them to staff of the office, and the commissioner of Canada elections exercises others.}}.

History

Elections Canada is an agency of the Parliament of Canada, and reports directly to Parliament rather than to the Government of Canada.{{Cite web |date=2015 |title=The Electoral System of Canada |url=https://www.elections.ca/res/ces/esoc_e.pdf |website=Elections Canada}}{{Cite web |date=December 12, 2022 |orig-date=May 31, 2000 |title=Canada Elections Act |url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-2.01/page-2.html#h-203635 |access-date=January 5, 2023 |publisher=Parliament of Canada |pages=Part 2 |via=Justice Laws |no-pp=y |postscript=. Last amended June 29, 2021.}} The agency was created under the government of Jean Chretien by the Canada Elections Act on 31 May 2000.{{cite news |url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/e-2.01/FullText.html |title=Consolidated federal laws of Canada, Canada Elections Act |date=26 March 2025 }}

Responsibilities

Elections Canada is responsible for:{{Cite web |publisher=Elections Canada |date=2022-12-23 |title=Our mission, mandate, values |url=https://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=mis&document=index&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=elections.ca}}{{Cite web |publisher=Elections Canada |date=2022-12-23 |title=The Role and Structure of Elections Canada |url=https://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=role&document=index&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=elections.ca}}{{cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/91f0015m/91f0015m2022001-eng.htm|title= The Canadian diaspora: Estimating the number of Canadian citizens who live abroad|last1=Bérard-Chagnon |first1=Julien|last2=Canon|first2=Lorena|publisher=Statistics Canada|date=13 April 2022|access-date=21 April 2024}}

Making sure that all voters have access to the electoral system
Informing citizens about the electoral system
Maintaining the National Register of Electors and International Register of Electors
Enforcing electoral legislation
Training election officers
Producing maps of electoral districts
Registering political parties, electoral district associations, and third parties that engage in election advertising
Administering the allowances paid to registered political parties
Monitoring election spending by candidates, political parties and third parties
Publishing financial information on political parties, electoral district associations, candidates, nomination contestants, leadership contestants and third parties
Supporting the independent commissions responsible for adjusting the boundaries of federal electoral districts every ten years
Reporting to Parliament on the administration of elections and referendums

Appointments and staff

The House of Commons of Canada appoints the chief electoral officer to head the agency. The chief electoral officer also appoints the commissioner of Canada elections ({{Langx|fr|Commissaire aux élections fédérales|italic=yes}}), who ensures that the Canada Elections Act is enforced.{{Cite web |publisher=Commissioner of Canada Elections |date=2022-09-14 |title=About Us |url=https://www.cef-cce.ca/content.asp?section=abo&document=index&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=www.cef-cce.ca}} The broadcasting arbitrator ({{langx|fr|Arbitre en matière de radiodiffusion|italic=y}}), who allocates paid and free broadcasting time during electoral events, is appointed by a unanimous decision of registered political parties in the House of Commons, or by the chief electoral officer if the parties fail to agree a candidate.{{Cite web |publisher=Elections Canada |date=2023-01-02 |title=Arbitre en matière de radiodiffusion |trans-title=Broadcasting Arbitrator |lang=fr |url=https://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=bra&document=index&lang=f |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=elections.ca}}{{Cite web |publisher=Elections Canada |date=2023-01-02 |title=Broadcasting Arbitrator |url=https://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=bra&document=index&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=elections.ca}}{{Cite web |publisher=Elections Canada |date=October 2019 |title=The Broadcasting Arbitrator: Appointment, Term of Office and Duties - THE BROADCASTING ARBITRATOR According to the provisions of the Canada Elections Act|url=https://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=bra/atood&document=index&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=elections.ca}} The chief electoral officer is seconded by the deputy chief electoral officer, chief legal counsel and around 500 to 600 staff, mainly situated in the National Capital Region. During a general election or referendum, this rises to 235,000 workers

Compliance, enforcement and regulation

The Commissioner of Canada Elections is responsible for regulating federal electoral events and enforcing compliance with the Canada Elections Act.{{Cite web |publisher=Commissioner of Canada Elections |date=2022-09-14 |title=Enforcing the Canada Elections Act |url=https://www.cef-cce.ca/content.asp?section=abo&dir=bck&document=index&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=www.cef-cce.ca}}

Before 2018, the commissioner was appointed in consultation with the director of public prosecutions and was overseen by the director, but has since become part of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.{{Cite web |publisher=Elections Canada |date=2022-12-23 |title=Relationship between the Chief Electoral Officer and the Commissioner of Canada Elections: Key Guiding Principles |url=https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=cce&document=princip&lang=e |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=www.elections.ca}}