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1.2 Recruitment of poll workers – Section 1: Conduct of the Electoral EventConduct of the Electoral EventReturning Officers' Report of Proceedings Summary – 44th General Election

Poll worker staffing

4. I was able to recruit enough competent poll workers.

4. I was able to recruit enough competent poll workers.

Text version of "4. I was able to recruit enough competent poll workers."

The bar chart shows that out of 338 ROs:

  • 48 strongly agree with the statement
  • 155 agree
  • 65 are neutral
  • 55 disagree
  • 15 strongly disagree

203 ROs agreed or strongly agreed with the above statement. On the other hand, 65 were neutral, while 70 disagreed or strongly disagreed.

What went well

  • The dedication and commitment of the RecSups and recruitment officers (RecOs) were key factors in the hiring of qualified poll workers.
  • Having access to lists of workers, such as those from the Census, Statistics Canada and RMS, facilitated the hiring of poll workers.
  • Increased wages for poll workers and the ability to work overtime facilitated recruitment.

What could be improved

  • Reinstate the poll clerk position or review poll worker responsibilities, as the removal of the poll clerk position brought several challenges, including an increased workload for the DRO.
  • Ensure on-time opening of RO offices, which affects the recruitment of poll workers. The late opening of some RO offices made it difficult to thoroughly assess the quality of poll worker applications due to the number of positions to be filled in a short period of time.
  • Improve EC's online recruitment platform so that applicants can describe their relevant work experience and skills, other than those acquired during an election. This would allow the quality of applications to be more thoroughly assessed and analyzed.
  • Take steps to mitigate the effects of poll worker drop-outs. The drop-out rate on advance and ordinary polling days was problematic in some regions.

Other notable comments

  • Delivering the GE in a minority government context and a pandemic situation during a summer period significantly decreased the pool of potential applicants.

Recruitment tool effectiveness

5. The recruitment tools (e.g., RMS, limited access to ROPS/SITES, Poll Worker Recruitment Plan, online application form, media plan, posters) were effective for hiring poll workers and scheduling their training.

5. The recruitment tools (e.g., RMS, limited access to ROPS/SITES, Poll Worker Recruitment Plan, online application form, media plan, posters) were effective for hiring poll workers and scheduling their training.

Text version of "5. The recruitment tools (e.g., RMS, limited access to ROPS/SITES, Poll Worker Recruitment Plan, online application form, media plan, posters) were effective for hiring poll workers and scheduling their training."

The bar chart shows that out of 338 ROs:

  • 22 strongly agree with the statement
  • 116 agree
  • 96 are neutral
  • 75 disagree
  • 29 strongly disagree

138 ROs agreed or strongly agreed with the above statement. On the other hand, 96 were neutral, while 104 disagreed or strongly disagreed.

What went well

  • The poll worker recruitment plan initiated during the PEAs was a very useful and relevant tool for the RecSups.
  • The RMS was very effective in generating lists of applicants with previous experience working during a federal election.
  • Allowing limited access to ROPS/SITES for RecSups eliminated some paper procedures and facilitated the transition from hiring to training.
  • The online application forms were very helpful in hiring poll workers in a pandemic situation.

What could be improved

  • Further synchronize and automate ROPS/SITES and RMS to eliminate duplication of effort between the FO and the RecSup.
  • Replace RMS and ROPS/SITES with modern system(s) to improve and streamline the hiring process and transition to training.
  • Allow AAROs to access RMS and the recruitment section in ROPS/SITES to facilitate and streamline the recruitment process in AARO offices.
  • To maximize the use of RMS and ROPS/SITES, train RecSups and RecOs on RMS and ROPS/SITES during the PEAs.
  • Update the RMS Applicants directory closer to the GE to provide relevant and up-to-date information for recruitment.

Other notable comments

  • Although the media plan was implemented and posters were distributed, ROs could not quantify the population reached.