Site MenuConclusion – Report on the delivery of voting services in Cat Lake, Poplar Hill and Pikangikum, Ontario, during the 44th general election
The lack of planning for accessible and convenient advance voting in three communities who needed this service to make sure all residents had the opportunity to vote is the root cause of the incident reviewed in this report. However, other factors such as poor internal communication between the RO and Elections Canada as well as with community leadership exacerbated this root cause. Going forward, Elections Canada should take advantage of the flexibility recently afforded in the Canada Elections Act to expand access to advance polls in remote communities.
The events in Kenora illustrate that a much more robust and ongoing engagement is needed with First Nations communities nationwide. There is increased interest to participate in federal elections among First Nations electors and with that interest comes increased service expectations. Elections Canada needs to adapt to meet these needs. Improving advance voting services is a good step for the next general election, whenever it is called. But there must be a broader and deeper review of current practices to truly effect positive change. Therefore, the CEO has requested that Elections Canada complete a program review of how it engages with and delivers public education and election services to First Nations communities.
Elections Canada once again apologizes to the electors who were unable to vote in this election due to gaps in voting services and breakdowns of communication. Our goal is always to ensure that every eligible Canadian can cast a ballot.