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Enhanced services to Jewish CommunitiesCEO Appearance: Supplementary Estimates (B) 2019-20

Fact Sheet

Subject: Enhanced services to Jewish Communities

Key Message

  • In response to concerns raised by members of the Jewish communities with regards to the 43rd general election coinciding with Jewish High Holy Days, Elections Canada worked with community leaders to develop an action plan to accommodate electors observing Jewish High Holy Days and enhance services offered to them.
  • The resulting initiatives enhanced existing services and provided additional options for observant Jewish community members to vote. They were well received by the Jewish community.

Facts

  • In the spring of 2019, Jewish community members raised concerns about the date of the general election and requested that the election day be moved. The Chief Electoral Officer declined to do so, on the basis of the potential impacts at that point on the electoral cycle. An application was then brought to the Federal Court of Canada to review the Chief Electoral Officer's decision. In July 2019, the Court directed the Chief Electoral Officer to reconsider his decision and to provide reasons that reflected a proportionate balancing of the rights of the applicants under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms with his mandate. In a detailed statement released on July 29, 2019, the Chief Electoral Officer indicated that it would not be advisable to recommend changing the date of the election at that late stage of the electoral cycle. The statement also featured an action plan to ensure voting opportunities for electors observing Jewish High Holy Days.
  • As a result of this action plan, returning officers worked with Jewish community leaders in 54 of 338 federal ridings (where adjusted 2016 Census data showed the Jewish population to be over 1 percent) to design local solutions to meet community needs by enhancing election services to facilitate voting during times that observant Jewish electors were not restricted from voting, and by raising awareness in the Jewish community about these enhanced services and options.
  • Accordingly, in addition to increasing staff at advance polls, the agency set up 27 special voting kiosks (open to all eligible electors) for one to four days in 15 electoral districts, serving 7,221 electors who took advantage of the offering.
  • In 19 long-term care facilities with primarily Jewish residents where mobile polls could not be opened on election day, electors were instead invited to vote earlier by special ballot.
  • In some electoral districts, Elections Canada offices increased their capacity and service hours to accommodate the needs of these communities.
  • Voting options were actively promoted through an information campaign and engagement with national organizations (CIJA and B'nai Brith), Jewish media and community leaders.
Fact Sheet
Rank Electoral Districts Voter Turnout for the 2019 general election
Electors on the lists Stationary Mobile Advanced Special Voting Rules Votes Cast Voter Turnout %
1 35104 – Thornhill 85,005 35,644 340 13,114 4,981 54,079 63.6%
2 24052 – Mont–Royal 73,273 25,796 155 13,028 5,283 44,262 60.4%
3 35024 – Eglinton–Lawrence 83,559 36,045 - 14,908 5,445 56,398 67.5%
4 35118 – York Centre 71,100 31,152 67 9,881 2,751 43,851 61.7%
5 35090 – Toronto – St. Paul's 85,544 42,574 114 14,243 3,287 60,218 70.4%
6 24054 – Outremont 67,842 27,452 237 10,327 3,896 41,912 61.8%
7 24053 – Notre–Dame–de–Grace 76,649 32,619 561 14,127 3,460 50,767 66.2%
8 46014 – Winnipeg South Centre 71,760 35,899 906 11,589 2,534 50,928 71.0%
9 24056 – Pierrefonds – Dollard 83,562 38,250 419 15,612 1,872 56,153 67.2%
10 35021 – Don Valley West 74,003 34,089 77 16,534 1,956 52,656 71.2%
Canada 27,373,058 12,636,319 174,708 4,879,312 660,020 18,350,359 67.0%
Fact Sheet
Rank Electoral Districts Voter Turnout for the 2015 general election
Electors on the lists Stationary Mobile Advanced Special Voting Rules Votes Cast Voter Turnout %
1 35104 – Thornhill 81,672 39,874 313 12,828 1,800 54,815 67.1%
2 24052 – Mont–Royal 74,416 31,769 870 12,849 2,988 48,476 65.1%
3 35024 – Eglinton–Lawrence 78,535 38,824 - 15,020 2,276 56,120 71.5%
4 35118 – York Centre 65,832 32,907 140 9,094 1,122 43,263 65.7%
5 35090 – Toronto – St. Paul's 78,885 41,935 106 12,092 3,091 57,224 72.5%
6 24054 – Outremont 71,136 32,888 189 8,857 2,111 44,045 61.9%
7 24053 – Notre–Dame–de–Grace 79,832 36,178 657 12,049 3,020 51,904 65.0%
8 46014 – Winnipeg South Centre 70,487 39,256 680 11,271 2,552 53,759 76.3%
9 24056 – Pierrefonds – Dollard 85,333 43,326 457 12,995 2,095 58,873 69.0%
10 35021 – Don Valley West 71,037 36,043 111 13,281 1,868 51,303 72.2%
Canada 25,939,742 13,241,344 174,620 3,677,217 618,802 17,711,983 68.3%
Fact Sheet
Rank Electoral Districts Voter Turnout changes between 2015 and 2019
% increase turnout % Increase in advance % increase in SVR
1 35104 – Thornhill -3.5% 2.2% 176.7%
2 24052 – Mont–Royal -4.7% 1.4% 76.8%
3 35024 – Eglinton–Lawrence -4.0% -0.7% 139.2%
4 35118 – York Centre -4.0% 8.7% 145.2%
5 35090 – Toronto – St. Paul's -2.1% 17.8% 6.3%
6 24054 – Outremont -0.1% 16.6% 84.6%
7 24053 – Notre–Dame–de–Grace 1.2% 17.2% 14.6%
8 46014 – Winnipeg South Centre -5.3% 2.8% -0.7%
9 24056 – Pierrefonds – Dollard -1.8% 20.1% -10.6%
10 35021 – Don Valley West -1.1% 24.5% 4.7%
Canada -1.2% 32.7% 6.7%