Chapter 5 – Closing your office (04/2023)

To close the office, the following tasks must be completed:

Decommission and return computer systems
Deactivate the telephones and return the equipment (keep these until the last day)
Return the furniture and equipment
Return election materials to the EC Distribution Centre and store reusable supplies
Arrange for mail forwarding to your home address
Finalize lease arrangements with landlords, as applicable

5.1 Shipping lots back to Elections Canada

After the event, return all lots to EC through Canada Post. Do not hire private transportation companies. A memorandum regarding the arrangements between EC and Canada Post is sent out during the electoral event.

Consult section 3.3 Election materials – overview for detailed instructions for shipping lots of election documents and materials back to EC.

5.2 Reusable supplies and recyclable materials

Reusable supplies

After the event, complete the Reusable materials column in C3 List of Reusable Office Supplies and Materials in Volume II and return the form to ECHQ.

You must store these supplies for safekeeping for the next event. Be sure not to place them in the boxes of materials that will be returned to ECHQ's Distribution Centre.

Consult section 3.4 Materials you must keep for more information on the storage of materials.

Note:
Storage guidelines will be reviewed after the 43rd GE.

Recyclable materials

Local recycling of any documents and materials other than those listed below is prohibited.

After the event but before clean-up, contact schools in the area and ask whether they need empty ballot boxes or voting screens (school projects), etc.). Only the following material may be recycled locally:

Ballot boxes and screens
Feedback on Accessibility and Voter Experience Box(EC 50121)

All other materials must be returned to EC. If there are no recycling facilities in the ED, use a facility in a neighbouring ED.

Note:
If any costs are involved in recycling locally, authorization from the FSN is required to do so. If materials are not being recycled, return them to Ottawa with the remainder of the election materials in Lot 111 for shredding.

5.3 Computers and telephones

Computers

After ECHQ confirms that all tasks are complete, the AC must purge the computer equipment in one day.

The AC must:

Complete the AC's evaluation online; consult the Automation Coordinator's Manual
Purge the server
Supervise the technician's dismantling of the equipment

Both you and the IBM technician must sign the M8 – Closing-out Report and send it to ECHQ.

Your office LAN equipment is to be picked up by Canada Post, but those arrangements are IBM's responsibility. All computer equipment is to be loaded in separate monotainers than those used for election materials being returned to EC.

Telephone systems

Be sure to do the final backup of the server before deactivating the telephone lines in your office.

Do not deactivate the telephone lines yourself. Elections Canada's Telephone Support Group will initiate the decommissioning of telephone systems.

Once the computer systems are purged, employees at the RO and AARO offices are to pack (in original kits) and ship all wireline and wireless equipment directly to Bell Canada and/or ECHQ.

Wireline kits

The wireline kit inventory includes:

1 DSL/Fibre modem and associates cables
VoIP office deskphones with AC power adapter, 10-ft CAT-53 LAN cables, wired headsets with GN coil – quantities: 9 per small office; 11 per medium-size office; 13 per large office
1 analog phone set for emergency use

For any missing inventory, the RO and AARO office will need to notify the Telephony support group:

By phone: 1-888-308-8683 or
By email: soutien-telecom-support@elections.ca.

A waybill will be provided by the telephone company; you and your AARO will be required to contact the shipper to have wireline equipment shipped back to Bell Canada.

Headset kits

RO and AARO offices are to box (in the original Headset Kit) all the headsets and ship them back to Bell Canada.

Wireless kits

This equipment must be packed and returned to the EC Distribution Centre by Canada Post. Send it in the original black plastic bin for election returns, identify it as “Wireless kits” and add your 5-digit ED code on the bin.

The wireless kit inventory includes:

Item	Quantity
Item	Your office	AARO's office
LTE modem	1	1
AC power adapter for LTE modem	1	1
LTE modem antennae	2	2
Smartphone	8	1
Smartphone case	8	1
AC power adapter for smartphone	6	1
Wireless Bluetooth headset	6	1
100-ft network cable for modem	1	1
black plastic wireless kit bin	1	1

Do not include in this shipment any equipment that the local telephone company provided.

Do not ship the wireless black plastic bin in the monotainers. It must be shipped separately to the EC Distribution Centre.

Telephone availability

You must immediately give your local telephone number and home address, or that of your ARO, if you will be unavailable to candidates and official agents, so they may provide you with their unused official income tax receipts. You are to ensure that other suppliers and any other individuals involved also have your local telephone number, as needed.

5.4 Furniture and equipment

After all the closing activities are complete in your office, return rented furniture and equipment to suppliers as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary rental charges. Finalize last-minute details with the landlord of the premises for the electoral event period.

5.5 Extending lease arrangements

Clause 6.2 of the Lease for Returning Officer or Additional Assistant Returning Officer Office (EC 10015) grants the tenant an irrevocable option to extend the initial rental period of the lease.

If an extension is required, you must first obtain written approval from EC.

Once the approval is obtained, you must then complete the notice form attached to the lease as Schedule B and send it to the landlord in accordance with the lease. The rent payable for each additional period will be paid within 10 days after the start date of the additional rental period.

If an extension is required but the landlord did not agree to clause 6.2 in the lease, or if he insisted on using his own lease instead, contact FSN immediately.

Note:
Contact ECHQ for pre-approval of all lease extensions.

5.6 Mail forwarding

After an electoral event, you are responsible for making the necessary arrangements with Canada Post to forward any future mail from your office to your residence address. Forwarding mail can be done on the Canada Post website or in person at the local post office and by completing a Business Mail Forwarding form for a period of 4 months. Use the EC acquisition card to pay the fees related to this transaction.

Since it takes a minimum of 10 working days for this service to take effect, make these arrangements no later than Day 3 of the election calendar.

Canada Post may change or update mail forwarding procedures between events. For updated and complete information, refer to the Mail Forwarding Procedures (EC 10258) posted in ECDocs.

5.7 Post-event availability

You are expected to remain available for three months after an electoral event to respond to requests from ECHQ. After the close of the polls (at the end of Day 0), you (or the ARO acting on your behalf) must be reachable and be able to answer within 24 hours of receiving a request from ECHQ (unless the request allows for an extension). It is imperative that you remain available during this period, as crucial CEA requirements are met during post-event (i.e., Report of Proceedings, return of the writ, judicial recounts, election certification).

5.7.1 Report of Proceedings

The Report of Proceedings is a legislated task you must complete, following the end of a general election or by-election (section 314 of the CEA). A summary report based on the answers of all ROs is then published and used to improve EC’s processes, systems and services.

5.7.2 Performance evaluations

A 360-degree approach is taken whereby ROs, FLOs and ECHQ will assess performances and provide feedback to one another.

You are the only person authorized to perform the Report of Proceedings and performance evaluations tasks. Your ARO cannot complete these on your behalf.

5.7.3 Other tasks

Plan for your presence and availability during those three months post-event or plan to have your ARO act on your behalf, for the following:

Answer questions about election workers’ pay, including recovering and providing time sheets and kilometre logs within prescribed deadlines and providing details regarding particular issues about election workers' employment and activities
Complete financial reconciliations and accounts
Help in investigating and/or resolving complaints

Consider that handling requests concerning workers’ pay is difficult to do remotely since there might be a frequent need to consult time sheets. As well, the research and investigation required to handle complaints require that you (or your ARO acting on your behalf) be well aware of activities and situations that unfolded in your office and at polling places during the election calendar, and be available to collaborate with ECHQ within a short time frame.

5.7.4 Federal Elections Fees Tariff

Finally, as per the Federal Elections Fees Tariff (EC 11790), the base fee after an election period is paid to the active RO (or to the ARO acting on his behalf). The Tariff of Fees stipulates that this base fee be earmarked for requests made by ECHQ during the three months following a general election or by-election; therefore, no mandate will be issued for handling these requests.

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