Regulatory Policy Development and Management

On this page, you will learn how Elections Canada develops its regulatory policy instruments and manages its regulatory policy program.

When developing our regulatory policy instruments, we examine the policy issue, determine the scope of the project and draft the policy or directive. Before some policy instruments are approved and implemented, we consult with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the instrument reflects diverse perspectives and is comprehensive and inclusive.

Regulatory policy instruments may need to be adapted to changing environmental and legal contexts. We do a proactive review of all our instruments after every general election so that changes in how we deliver our mandate are reflected in the relevant instruments. They can also be reviewed and updated at the request of the Chief Electoral Officer.

Various groups and individuals at Elections Canada play an important part in the policy development process. The next section describes their roles and responsibilities in relation to the regulatory policy program.

Roles and responsibilities

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) ensures that Elections Canada delivers on its mandate to administer the Canada Elections Act. The CEO also provides oversight of and approves the agency's regulatory policy instruments.

The Deputy Chief Electoral Officer of Regulatory Affairs (DCEO-RA) oversees the management and development of regulatory policy instruments at Elections Canada. The DCEO-RA, along with internal partners, is also responsible for consulting external stakeholders on the content of the instruments and informing agency employees about their purpose and objectives.

The other deputy chief electoral officers and senior directors, along with the DCEO-RA, assist in planning and developing regulatory policy instruments. They identify changes in the environment that may warrant a policy instrument review. They also oversee the implementation within their designated areas of responsibility by ensuring that managers develop procedures consistent with regulatory policy instruments and communicate these procedures to their teams (Elections Canada head office staff and field staff) to support the development and implementation of regulatory policy instruments.

Returning officers apply the CEO's instructions and familiarize themselves with the requirements of policies and directives related to the delivery of voting service and candidate nomination in a consistent and predictable way.