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Survey of Election Officers following the 41st Federal General Election

Section 1: Profile of Election Officers

This section presents the particular profile of election officers who worked during the 41st general election in terms of their past experience in both federal and provincial elections and how they were appointed to their position in 2011.

Past Experience

Slightly more than the half of respondents in 2011 (53%) had worked as election officers during the previous federal general election. This proportion was lower in 2008 (45%). Elections Officers from Saskatchewan were statistically more likely (60%) than officers in other provinces to report they had worked during the 2008 general election.

Q2: "Did you work as an election officer during the previous federal general election, which was held in October 2008?" By region and student residence (n=3,213)
Total ATL. QC ON MAN SASK AB BC TER.* N. of 50th STUDENT
RES.*
Yes 53% 57% 53% 51% 56% 60%+ 55% 48% 46% 57% 46%
No 45% 41% 45% 46% 43% 38% 43% 50%+ 49% 40% 54%
I don't know 2% 2% 2% 3% 2% 2% 2% 1% 4% 3% 0%

*Caution should be used when interpreting results due to small sample.

Central poll supervisors were more likely to have worked in the 2008 federal general election (70% vs. 53% overall), while information officers were less likely (37%) to have had such experience.

Q2: "Did you work as an election officer during the previous federal general election, which was held in October 2008?" By type of poll and staffing position (n=3,213)
Total Advance Ordinary Mobile CPS DRO IO
Yes 53% 62%+ 52%- 60%+ 70%+ 53% 37%-
No 45% 36%- 46%+ 38% 28%- 44%+ 63%+
I don't know 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 3%+ 0%-

Among those who reported having worked in the 2008 federal general election, most indicated that they had worked as deputy returning officers (58%), with significantly higher proportions in Ontario (64%) and Saskatchewan (68%). Similarly, higher proportions had worked as central poll supervisors in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia (both 18%) as well as in the North (21% vs. 13% overall). In British Columbia, a higher proportion also reported having worked as a poll clerk (22% vs. 15% overall).

Q3: "Which position(s) did you occupy in 2008?" By region and student residence (n=1,764)
  Total ATL. QC ON MAN* SASK* AB BC TER.* N. of 50th STUDENT RES.*
Deputy returning officer 58% 52% 60% 64%+ 57% 68%+ 56% 44%- 51% 54% 63%
Poll clerk 15% 17% 12% 15% 12% 11% 18% 22%+ 25% 13% 13%
Central poll supervisor 13% 18%+ 10% 11% 15% 10% 17% 18%+ 7% 21%+ -
Information officer 7% 8% 8% 7% 8% 7% 5% 10% 10% 3% -
Other/
I don't know
8% 7% 12% 6% 9% 4% 5% 9% 7% 10% 24%

*Caution should be used when interpreting results due to small sample.

The majority of respondents who reported having worked during the 2008 federal general election were hired in the same position 2011. This is true for 74% of deputy returning officers, 67% of central poll supervisors but only 45% of information officers. A slightly higher proportion of deputy returning officers (17% vs. 15% overall) had also worked as a poll clerk in 2008.

Officers who worked at a mobile poll in 2011 and who had worked in 2008 were most likely to have been deputy returning officers at the time (84%). Also, more individuals (18%) who worked as a central poll supervisor in 2008 worked at advanced polls in 2011.

Q3: "Which position(s) did you occupy in 2008?" By type of poll and staffing position(n=1,764)
  Total Advance Ordinary Mobile CPS DRO IO
Deputy returning officer 58% 60% 58%- 84%+ 18%- 74%+ 24%-
Poll clerk 5% 14% 15% 11% 7%- 17%+ 14%
Central poll supervisor 13% 18%+ 13% 3%- 67%+ 2%- 3%-
Information officer 7% 8% 8% 1%- 2%- 2%- 45%+

More than half (52%) of election officers during the 2011 election also had experience at the provincial level. Regionally, there were significantly higher proportions of officers who had worked at the provincial level in Atlantic Provinces (63%) and Saskatchewan (60%), while there were significantly lower percentages in Ontario (49%).

Q4: "Did you ever work as an election officer in a provincial election?" By region and student residence (n=3,213)
Total ATL. QC ON MAN SASK AB BC TER.* N. of 50th STUDENT RES.*
Yes 52% 63%+ 50% 49%- 44% 60%+ 54% 54% 41% 60%+ 51%
No 46% 35%- 49% 48% 53% 37%- 45% 44% 59% 39%- 49%
I don't know 2% 1% 1% 2% 3% 3% 1% 2% 0% 0% 0%

*Caution should be used when interpreting results due to small sample.

Central poll supervisors (67%) were significantly more likely than other election officers to have worked during a previous provincial election. In contrast, information officers (33%) were found to be the least likely to have worked in a previous provincial election. As well, fifty-four percent (54%) of deputy returning officers indicated having also worked in a previous provincial election.

Election officers who worked at an advance poll in 2011 were more likely to have previously worked in a provincial election (59%). This proportion was significantly less (51%) for those who worked at an ordinary poll. As well, 55% of those who worked at a mobile poll also had experience at the provincial level.

Appointment

The majority of deputy returning officers (73%) reported that their name was not referred to the returning officer by a candidate or a political party. However, there was considerable variation across the regions. Compared to an average of 22%, Ontario (13%), Manitoba (10%), British Columbia (8%) and Alberta (5%) had significantly less respondents who reported having being referred by a candidate or a political party, while Quebec (45%) and Atlantic Provinces (36%) had significantly more.

Q5: "With regards to your appointment, was your name initially referred to the returning officer by a candidate or a political party?" By region and student residence (n=2,104)
Total ATL. QC ON MAN* SASK AB BC TER.* N. of 50th STUDENT RES.*
Yes 22% 36%+ 45%+ 13%- 10%- 16% 5%- 8%- 35% 15% 17%
No 73% 54%- 50%- 83%+ 82% 72% 90%+ 88%+ 65% 68% 83%
I don't know 5% 10%+ 5% 4%- 8% 12%+ 5% 4% 0% 16%+ 0%

Deputy returning officers only.
*Caution should be used when interpreting results due to small sample.

Deputy returning officers who worked at advance polls were more than three times (63%) more likely to report having been referred to the returning officer by a candidate or a political party compared to those who worked at an ordinary (19%) or mobile poll (13%).

Q5: "With regards to your appointment, was your name initially referred to the returning officer by a candidate or a political party?" By type of poll (n=2,104)
Total Advance Ordinary Mobile
Yes 22% 63%+ 19%- 13%-
No 73% 31%- 76%+ 81%+
I don't know 5% 6% 5% 6%

Deputy returning officers only.