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1.11 Returning officer office closing activities – Section 1: Conduct of the Electoral EventConduct of the Electoral EventReturning Officers' Report of Proceedings Summary – 44th General Election

Compliance with instructions for the validation of results

35. The validation of results was completed as directed in the Returning Officer's Manual, Volume III, 2.6 Validation of the results.

35. The validation of results was completed as directed in the Returning Officer's Manual, Volume III, 2.6 Validation of the results.

Text version of "35. The validation of results was completed as directed in the Returning Officer's Manual, Volume III, 2.6 Validation of the results."

The bar chart shows that out of 338 ROs:

  • 233 strongly agree with the statement
  • 100 agree
  • 3 are neutral
  • 2 disagree
  • 0 strongly disagree

333 ROs agreed or strongly agreed with the above statement. On the other hand, 3 were neutral, while 2 disagreed.

What went well

  • In general, the procedures and guidelines were clear, relevant and allowed for efficient and timely validation of results.
  • In the vast majority of EDs, there were sufficient candidates and representatives present during the validation of results.

What could be improved

  • Place more focus on procedures for handling the Statements of the Vote (SOVs) (EC 50100) during poll worker training to prevent SOVs from ending up in the ballot box.

Other notable comments

  • The validation of results was made more complicated due to many polling places not returning election materials properly. For example, some ROs had to open ballot boxes or search through the transportation bag to retrieve the SOV and other important documents.

Advice on the closing procedures for the returning officer office

36. What other procedures (or modifications to current procedures), if any, would be useful to you in supporting the closing activities for your office or the AARO office (if applicable)?

Comments

  • It would be beneficial to ROs and key staff to develop an RO office closing guide encompassing all activities, including checklists.
  • Coordinating the return of materials while closing RO and AARO offices was an irritant, particularly the communication between ECHQ, Bell Canada, IBM and Canada Post. ROs would like to have a detailed schedule indicating when they can expect to be contacted and when the various materials will be picked up.
  • The requirement to return various materials to ECHQ for shredding was also an irritant. It would be more efficient to shred the materials locally, thus reducing the amount of materials to be returned to ECHQ. In addition, this would reduce EC's carbon footprint.