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Elections Canada: Information about Programs and Information Holdings (Info Source)





Electoral Operations (P)

This program allows Elections Canada to deliver fair and efficient electoral events whenever they may be required so that Canadians are able to exercise their democratic right to vote during a federal general election, by-election or referendum by providing an accessible and constantly improved electoral process responsive to the needs of electors. This program includes three sub-programs: Electoral Boundaries Readjustment; Electoral Event Delivery; and Electoral Preparedness.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment (SP)

Through this sub-program, Elections Canada provides independent provincial commissions with a variety of professional, financial and administrative services; examples include assisting with mapping, census data and publications, and maintaining a website to support the readjustment of the federal electoral boundaries after each decennial census. This assistance enables the independent commissions to carry out their obligations under the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act.

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment (COR)

Description: Records include information related to calculations of the number of seats for each province in the House of Commons, using population estimates in the year of the decennial census and the formula set out in the Constitution Act, 1867; the administrative and technical support given to the independent commissions, such as mapping, census data and publishing; the design and maintenance of a website to assist them in their work; the development of communications initiatives to inform Canadians about the redistribution process and how to participate; and the payment of expenses related to the redistribution process.

Document Types: Correspondence, memoranda, budgets, maps, travel authorization forms and claims.

Format: Maps.

Record Number: Elections 2310

Related Personal Information Bank: Federal Electoral Boundaries Commissions (PIB)

Electoral Event Delivery (SP)

This sub-program includes initiatives that mobilize field personnel and leverage field office temporary infrastructure to ensure the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective federal elections and referendums as they are required. This sub-program provides Canadians with timely information on the conduct of electoral events, voting opportunities during these events, and voting results that accurately reflect the choices they have made.

Alternative Voting Methods (COR)

Description: Records include information related to the administration of Part 11 of the Canada Elections Act with regard to electors voting under the Special Voting Rules. Part 11 provides access to the electoral process for those electors who cannot or do not wish to vote at advance polls or on election day. These include electors in their electoral districts, electors temporarily away from their electoral districts, Canadian citizens residing abroad, Canadian Forces electors (including personnel) and incarcerated electors. As well, there is information related to the research on and testing of some alternative voting methods.

Document Types: Procedures, training programs, reports, statements of work, requests for proposals, evaluation criteria, memoranda, legal opinions, project plans, correspondence, briefing notes, surveys, lists of electors.

Record Number: Elections 2410

Related Personal Information Bank: Special Voting Rules (PIB)

Field Personnel Readiness (COR)

Description: Records include information related to the recruitment of returning officers and their performance evaluations; the recruitment of election workers; the coordination of communications and support networks that assist returning officers during and between elections; the development and implementation of training strategies and tools for returning officers and other election workers; and the coordination of the acquisition, stocking and deployment of goods and services in support of operational programs.

Document Types: Correspondence, memoranda, minutes of meetings, procedures, agendas, financial returns, logs, training manuals, business cases, project cards, budgets, newsletters, reports, contract data sheets, printing and purchasing specifications and orders, requisitions, briefing notes, travel authorization forms and claims, training forms, hospitality approvals and claims, and evaluation forms.

Record Number: Elections 2710

Related Personal Information Bank: Returning Offices and Electoral Workers (PIB)

Field Programs and Services (COR)

Description: Records include information related to the preparation and delivery of services to candidates and electors from local Elections Canada offices during an election, such as service standards, procedures and documentation; systems' business requirements for the selection of polling sites; local outreach program initiatives for seniors, youth, Aboriginal people, ethnocultural communities and electors who are homeless; and local Elections Canada office set-up. They also include information on service standards, procedures and the informatics systems' business requirements for the voting process at advance, ordinary and mobile polls as well as on vote counting, results reporting, field voter registration and services to candidates.

Document Types: Leases, accessibility feedback forms, accessibility checklists and standards, lists of electors, nomination papers, instructions and guidelines to candidates, administrative instructions and guidelines for field staff, training manuals, official results, statutory notices, legal advice, correspondence, studies and reports on the voting and nomination processes, budgets.

Record Number: Elections 2810

Related Personal Information Banks:

Electoral Preparedness (SP)

Through this sub-program, Elections Canada ensures that electoral processes, systems, databases and materials, as well as qualified staff and election officers, are ready to conduct electoral events whenever they are called. This sub-program includes initiatives that improve the conduct of electoral events, such as implementing new legislation or new administrative measures that respond to the evolving needs of Canadians.

Register of Electors (COR)

Description: Records consist of information related to creating, maintaining, updating and improving elector and address records in the National Register of Electors; maintaining the Corporate Address Register; georeferencing addresses (locating the points on a map); and geocoding addresses (assigning addresses to polling divisions). They include information related to the exchange of lists of electors and collaborative projects with provincial, territorial and municipal electoral management bodies. As well information is obtained from federal, provincial and territorial data suppliers such as Canada Revenue Agency, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, motor vehicle registrars and vital statistics registrars. Records also include outreach initiatives targeting electors and potential electors aimed at improving electoral data and records relating to the online voter registration services. These records involve the production of lists or products sent to members of parliament and registered political parties in accordance with the Canada Elections Act.

Document Types: National Register of Electors, information sharing agreements, correspondence, minutes, agenda, memoranda, reports, lists of electors and, legal opinions.

Record Number: Elections 2210

Related Personal Information Bank: Voter Registration and Identification (PIB)

Analysis and Quality (COR)

Description: Records include information related to the methodological, statistical and analytical services provided to assist the National Register of Electors, Electoral Geography and other Elections Canada units in the administration of their programs and projects, such as the comparison of administrative and electoral data from other jurisdictions with the National Register of Electors database to identify updates. They also include information on the quality of information contained on the lists of electors; operational data quality indicators for geospatial databases to help improve database contents and processes; estimations of voter participation by age groups and voting methods; and strategic projects and corporate initiatives.

Document Types: Analytical reports, tables, electronic files, statements of methodology, memoranda, correspondence.

Record Number: Elections 2510

Related Personal Information Bank: Voter Registration and Identification (PIB)

Electoral Geography (COR)

Description: Records include information about Elections Canada's duty to fulfill the requirements of the Canada Elections Act and the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act with respect to the production of maps and reports representing and describing electoral districts from a national and provincial level down to the smallest electoral unit, the polling division. Geography databases are updated with the latest information available from returning officers, Statistics Canada, Natural Resources Canada, provincial agencies and other external sources.

Document Types: Project plans, memoranda, minutes of meetings and correspondence.

Format: Maps (paper and digital), National Geographic Database and Electoral Geography Database.

Record Number: Elections 2610