Site MenuAdvisory Committee of Political Parties – Meeting Summary – February 13 and 14, 2019
7. National Register of Electors
Presenter: Duncan Toswell (Senior Director, Electoral Data Management & Readiness)
Mr. Toswell briefed ACPP representatives on National Register of Electors (NRoE) enhancement activities Elections Canada has been undertaking in advance of the 43rd General Election. These include improvements and corrections to addresses, geocoding (x/y coordinates), and elector data. Mr. Toswell briefed members that Elections Canada staff will focus first on initiatives that will improve data accuracy and integrity, and then will work on projects that enhance coverage and currency. ACPP members were briefed about Elections Canada’s youth registration strategy and its efforts to increase youth registration rates. Since 2017, approximately 50,000 youth have added themselves to the NRoE.
Mr. Toswell also briefed members that Elections Canada’s objective is to have a majority of Targeted Revision activities complete before Voter Information Cards (VIC) are sent to maximize accuracy of initial VIC delivery.
The session concluded with a question and answer period with ACPP members. Elections Canada staff fielded questions on:
- The accuracy of current data (approximately 93% at present and increasing);
- Privacy questions regarding the data contained in the NRoE;
- Cooperation between Elections Canada and other provincial and municipal election bodies; and
- The registration of incarcerated Canadians, Canadians living abroad and Indigenous Canadians.
Some ACPP members took the opportunity during the question and answer period to express their concern in the comparatively lower youth registration rates and praised Elections Canada staff for the focus on youth outreach.