Site MenuReport on the October 24, 2016, By-election in Medicine Hat–Cardston–Warner
Foreword
Under the Canada Elections Act (the Act), if one or more by-elections are held in a year, the Chief Electoral Officer must, within 90 days after the end of the year, produce a report that sets out "any matter or event that has arisen or occurred in connection with the administration of the Chief Electoral Officer's office since the last report [...] and that he or she considers should be brought to the attention of the House of Commons."
In 2016, a by-election was held on October 24 in the electoral district of Medicine Hat–Cardston–Warner (Alberta). This report discusses the conduct of this by-election as well as administrative improvements implemented since the 42nd general election, such as an updated training curriculum for election workers.
Since the 2015 general election, the agency has finalized its assessments and reports, which can be found at elections.ca > Resource Centre > Reports > Elections Canada's Official Reports. The report from the Chief Electoral Officer on recommended amendments for the better administration of the Act is currently being studied by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
The agency also conducted an administrative review of the procedures for tracking and handling shipments containing special ballots. The results of this review and recommendations for improvements are available on the Elections Canada website at elections.ca > Resource Centre > Reports > Other Reports.
In the new fiscal year, Elections Canada will continue to provide parliamentarians with technical advice as they pursue their legislative work. The agency will move forward with its agenda to modernize the electoral process to improve the voter experience. Elections Canada will also see the appointment of a new Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, as the sixth Chief Electoral Officer, Marc Mayrand, completed his mandate in December 2016.
While the year ahead brings challenges, it also presents an opportunity to make real progress towards providing Canadians with a more inclusive, convenient and efficient voting experience in the 43rd general election and beyond.