Survey of Election Officers Following the 40th General Election

Highlights

Satisfaction levels were high with regards to all relevant aspects, including the pay, the provided material, the polling buildings and the lists of electors.
The suitability of polling buildings was an issue for 13% of respondents, most of which reported problems which may have affected accessibility (not enough room, poor indications, bad location, no parking, etc.)
The majority of elections officers were satisfied with the training they received, however approximately one officer in five asked for longer, more detailed sessions in future elections.
Most of the variables tested scored slightly lower in the Western provinces, notably satisfaction with the hourly pay.

Officers gave an overall positive evaluation of the proceedings on election day.
According to 98% of surveyed officers the polls opened on time on election day. 95% of officers also report that the counting of the votes was done in accordance with procedure.
Overall, language barriers were an issue for only a few respondents (5%), but were slightly more common in Manitoba (12% of respondents).
The information provided to officers on how to use the "bingo cards" was deemed adequate by three in four respondents.
While the flow of electors went smoothly on election day, voting took a little longer as a result of the new identification requirements

The voter identification process went well for the majority of respondents, despite its impact on voting time. Virtually all officers (95%) felt that they were prepared to apply the new requirements.
According to officers, very few electors were refused their ballot because of their inability to satisfy the new ID requirements.
While most officers applied the new policy in accordance with procedure, an average of 8% of respondents did not verify if electors had proper ID prior to voting. This number reached 20% among Alberta officers.
According to 86% of respondents, electors were prepared to comply with the new requirements. However, when it came to identifying themselves, electors' reaction was deemed unfavourable by 21% of respondents. Electors' reactions in Manitoba (36%) and Saskatchewan (34%) are deemed most unfavourable.
While 95% of officers felt well prepared to apply the new identification requirements, approximately one in five reports experiencing problems when verifying the identity or address of electors. These problems generally had to do with electors showing improper ID (i.e. no picture, outdated, etc.) or no ID at all, or with polling lists that had not been updated.
Electors presenting themselves at the polls thinking they could use their voter identification card as a valid piece of ID was also a common problem for about one quarter of respondents (23%).