Statements and Speeches

THREE DAYS BEFORE THE
JUNE 28, 2004, GENERAL ELECTION

SPEAKING NOTES FOR

JEAN-PIERRE KINGSLEY
CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER OF CANADA

OTTAWA
JUNE 25, 2004

Introduction

Monday, June 28, is election day in Canada. Every Canadian who is 18 or over on that day has the right to vote.

Today I would like to review the procedures for exercising the right to vote – especially for new electors – and other aspects of the electoral process.

Before voting

Each elector – registered or not – goes to the polling station assigned to his or her place of residence. The location is indicated on the voter information card that was sent out during the election period.

Electors who do not know where their polling stations are located can find out on our Web site – accessible 24 hours a day, at www.elections.ca – or by calling 1 800 463-6868.

All an elector needs to provide is a postal code.

At the polling station

When electors arrive at the polling station, they give their address or present their voter information card.

They are then told at which table they vote.

Electors who are not yet registered or who are not registered at the correct address are directed to a registration officer.

Those electors provide proof of identity containing their name, address and signature. For example, a driver's licence is acceptable, even though a photo is not required. Electors who do not have identification may register under oath – when they are accompanied by another elector registered in the same polling division who can vouch for them.

Once registration is complete, the registration officer hands the elector a registration certificate and directs him or her to where he or she votes.

When electors arrive at the table where they vote, they meet two election officers: the deputy returning officer and the poll clerk. Next to the table are the candidates' representatives. Electors hand the election officers their voter information card and give their name and address. If they have just registered, they present their registration certificate. Proof of identity is not required for voting.

The poll clerk locates the elector's name on the voters list, checks to ensure they have not voted already, then crosses their name off the list to indicate that they have come to vote.

The deputy returning officer hands the elector a ballot paper, with a numbered counterfoil attached.

The elector goes behind the voting screen, where he or she marks the ballot in secret.

When marking the ballot paper, voters place an anonymous mark, such as the traditional "x", in a single circle, beside the name of the candidate they are voting for.

If there is a mark in more than one circle or if the ballot contains a mark that could identify the voter, the ballot will be rejected when the votes are counted.

If a voter makes a mistake when marking the ballot paper, the ballot may be replaced, but only once. The voter must return the ballot to the deputy returning officer, explaining that he or she made a mistake, and ask for a new ballot.

The first ballot becomes a "spoiled" ballot and is not included in the vote count.

Like all other printed ballot papers, it is carefully kept to avoid the risk of fraud.

Voters who have difficulty marking their ballots may be accompanied behind the voting screen by a friend or relative who can help them. Otherwise, voters may ask the deputy returning officer for assistance.

Anyone assisting a voter is required by law to preserve the secrecy of the vote. Except for the deputy returning officer, a person may help only one elector to vote.

After a voter marks his or her ballot, he or she refolds it the way it was when he or she received it, so that the mark is not visible.

The voter then returns the folded ballot to the deputy returning officer, who detaches the numbered counterfoil, without unfolding the ballot.

The number on the counterfoil also appears on the ballot stub – but not on the ballot itself. The stub of each ballot stays in the ballot book. The deputy returning officer compares the number on the counterfoil with the number on the stub, to ensure that a voter returns the same ballot he or she was issued. As an additional check, the deputy returning officer checks whether his or her initials are on the back of the ballot. The deputy returning officer initials the backs of all ballot papers.

These provisions ensure the integrity of the vote. They ensure that each ballot provided to a voter is placed in the ballot box, that each ballot cast is legitimate and that only the voter who received it was able to mark it. These provisions also fully protect the secrecy of the vote and are therefore one of the strengths of our electoral system. Voters who destroy ballots or do not return them undermine the integrity of these critical safeguards. That is illegal.

After removing the counterfoil, the deputy returning officer hands the folded ballot paper to the voter, who then places it in the ballot box.

I wish to point out that at polling stations where a request has already been made election officers will assist voters with special needs, such as voters who are blind or deaf, or have another disability, or voters with special language needs. In addition, 99.78% of polling stations have level access. On the voter information card, the accessibility symbol appearing beside the address of a polling station confirms that the premises have level access.

Officials at the polling station offer bilingual service. In regions where there is a shortage of bilingual staff, election officers provide voters with a card explaining the voting process in English and French. Voters may also call a toll-free number listed on this card to obtain any additional clarification required.

For those who wish to have the process explained as simply as possible, I recommend that they visit the site developed with us by the Movement for Canadian Literacy, at www.literacy.ca. The site explains the process in clear and simple language. It may be particularly helpful for those Canadians who have a limited command of either official language or who are participating in literacy programs.

Voting hours

On election day, all polling stations are open for 12 consecutive hours. Opening and closing hours vary by region. The first polls to close are in the Atlantic Region, followed by the rest of the country. These hours are indicated on the voter information card.

It should be noted that any voter who is inside a polling station at closing time may vote.

We have provided sufficient staff for registering voters and for voting. However, patience may be required during peak hours.

By law, all voters are entitled to three consecutive hours to vote outside their working hours, during polling hours. Employers must adjust their employees' schedules to allow for these three hours. No employee may be penalized financially as a result of these provisions.

One vote

An elector who has voted at an advance poll may not vote on election day at the polling station. The same rule applies for electors who are registered to vote by special ballot; they are deemed to have voted. These electors are very clearly marked on the voters lists.

It is an offence for an elector to vote twice during the same election.

As indicated on our Web site, the Commissioner of Canada Elections prosecutes individuals who contravene the Act, including anyone who votes more than once.

Revision

On June 22, at the end of the revision period, the voters lists contained a total of 22,295,226 voters. In addition to this, a number of voters will register at their polling stations on election day.

Advance voting

On June 18, 19 and 21, we opened over 2,703 polling stations to allow voters who wished to vote in advance to do so. In total, 1,244,000 persons voted this way – or 5.6% of all voters registered to date. Of that number, 50,801 registered at their polling stations.

Voting by special ballot

Moreover, 281,000 voters registered to vote by special ballot.

Reporting the results

Elections Canada's Voter Information Service will be on-line until 10:00 p.m., Eastern Time, to provide continued access to voters in British Columbia. We will be activating the Election Night Results Web application at 10:00 p.m. on election night.

Young people still have time to take part in the contest to win one of three trips for two to any destination in Canada, by visiting the site www.canadaroadtrip.ca or, in French, www.voirdupays.ca.

Conclusion

We are prepared to serve the voters on Monday. In total, 14,909 polling stations and 165,500 election officers will be at their service.

I would like to remind you that the Canada Elections Act prohibits all election advertising on election day before the polls close. This prohibition starts at midnight on Sunday, and applies to candidates, political parties and third parties.

It is also forbidden to publish election survey results for the first time. However, results that have already been made public may be published again.

The media may nationally broadcast the voting results as they become available.

The media will therefore be able to report the first results, those from the Atlantic time zones, across the country as soon as the votes are counted there, approximately two-and-a-half hours before the last polls close in the rest of the country. The results from Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta will not be known before all polls across the country have closed.

On election night, starting at 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), our Web site will allow users to follow the preliminary polling results across the country, by province, territory or electoral district.

On the day after election day, we will add a map to our Web site showing the preliminary results across the country.

The right to vote stems from the intrinsic value, the fundamental equality of every individual. By exercising the right to vote, each elector shows his and her engagement in the community.

Now, I will be pleased to answer your questions.