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.
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.
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).
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.
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%).
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.
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%).
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.