Site MenuElection at a Glance – Retrospective Report on the 44th General Election of September 20, 2021
Election Day
September 20, 2021
17.2 million Canadians cast a ballot 62.6% voter turnout
5.9 million Canadians voted at the advance polls 20.8% increase over 2019
10.2 million Canadians voted on election day
71,610 polling stations
94% of polling places were identified as being fully accessible
338 Electoral districts held elections
Involving 338 returning officers and 31 field liaison officers, and more than 195,000 election workers (18,000 office staff and 177,000 poll workers) were hired and trained
Satisfaction with Elections Canada's Services
Elections Canada conducted seven public opinion research projects for this election
| During the election | After the election | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 53,731 electors | 39,568 electors |
- Voters were satisfied with their voting experience
- 96%
- Electors who responded to the survey had a positive perception of the administration of the election
- 90%
- In-person voters were satisfied with the services provided by Elections Canada staff
- 97%
Elections Canada surveyed 1,075 candidates
| 2019 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Candidates were satisfied with Elections Canada's services | 89% | 86% |
77% Candidates thought that it was easy to comply with the nomination requirements
Election Security and Integrity
87% Electors thought Elections Canada ran the election fairly
91% Electors had a high level of trust in the accuracy of the election results in their riding
Special Ballot
1,275,226 electors requested a special ballot
This represents an increase of 82% over 2019, when 700,542 special ballots were requested
Health and Safety
| Electors felt well informed about the health and safety measures for COVID-19 that were in place at the polls | Electors who voted in person said they felt safe during their visit to the polling place | Non-voters reported that they did not vote for reasons related to COVID-19 |
|---|---|---|
| 89% | 95% | 2% |
Due to process changes to accommodate the pandemic, voters reported that it took an average of 13 minutes to vote in person in 2021:
| At polling places on election day | At the advance polls | At local Elections Canada offices |
|---|---|---|
| 12 minutes | 14 minutes | 14 minutes |
This is five minutes longer than in 2019, when the average time was eight minutes.