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2017–18 Departmental Results Report

Message from the Chief Electoral Officer

I am pleased to present Elections Canada's 2017–18 Departmental Results Report. It details the agency's accomplishments during the last fiscal year in support of its mandate and previously established multi-year plans and priorities.

In 2017–18, Elections Canada progressed on its strategic priorities to modernize the electoral process and renew its critical assets and infrastructure in order to deliver improved services at the 43rd general election scheduled for October 2019. We consulted with parliamentarians and other stakeholders as we improved the processes at the polls for better inclusivity and overall voter experience. As of March 31, 2018, returning officers were already beginning field preparations for the next general election. Elections Canada also successfully conducted 11 by-elections in 2017, the highest number for a single year in decades.

Over the reporting period, Elections Canada continued to work on reinforcing its security posture through increased collaboration with lead security agencies, taking into account the key findings of the June 2017 Communications Security Establishment report on cyber security and other threats to the democratic process. The agency also signed a contract to provide a more flexible and secure technology infrastructure to host and support Elections Canada's applications and services.

On April 30, 2018, the government introduced Bill C-76, which contains several amendments to improve access to the voting process, further promote transparency, and create a level-playing field with regards to political financing. Given the short timeframe before the 2019 general election, Elections Canada has started planning for implementation in order to be ready to deliver the election under either the current or the amended legislation.

I wish to reiterate my full commitment to supporting parliamentarians as they work on legislative changes to improve Canadians' voting experience in the October 2019 general election and beyond.





Stéphane Perrault
Chief Electoral Officer of Canada