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Results at a Glance2020–21 Departmental Results Report

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer is an independent, non-partisan agency that reports directly to Parliament and is comprised of two entities: Elections Canada and the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections.

Throughout 2020–21, the COVID-19 outbreak was an unprecedented challenge that resulted in the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer needing to navigate a broad range of interrelated issues, ranging from the need to introduce health and safety measures for electors to reorienting operations. As the 43rd general election resulted in a minority government, the agency's overarching focus was to finalize close-out activities and resume preparations to deliver the next general election that could have been called at any time.

As part of its ongoing readiness planning, the agency developed a new operational approach to delivering an election in the context of a pandemic. In response to the resulting Special Report of the Chief Electoral Officer: Administering an Election during the COVID-19 Pandemiciii published on October 5, 2020, Bill C-19, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (COVID-19 response),iv was introduced in Parliament. The bill proposed temporary rules for the administration of an election during the pandemic.

What Funds Were Used?

The agency's total actual spending for 2020–21 was $208,830,161.

Who Was Involved?

The agency's total workforce (full-time equivalents) for 2020–21 was 956.

Key Results Achieved

  • Elections Canada finalized its 2020–28 Strategic Plan,v which guides the organization's activities over the next eight years as it pursues its vision: an electoral democracy that serves all Canadians and that Canadians trust. To achieve this vision and maximize the impact of its efforts, the agency focused on the following four commitments:
    • proactively listening to and engaging with Canadians and political entities to continually improve programs and services;
    • using and sharing information to enable a better understanding of the electoral process;
    • working collaboratively and leveraging expertise to enable a strong electoral democracy; and
    • investing in sound management to build a sustainable organization.
  • As part of its mandate, Elections Canada must always be prepared to conduct a federal general election, by-election or referendum. Therefore, as the agency began wrap-up activities following the 43rd general election, which resulted in a minority government, it also began preparations to be ready for the next election that may be called at any time. Preparations for the 44th general election included refining the data, tools, processes, and systems used during the last election. Elections Canada also delivered two by-elections on October 26, 2020: Toronto Centre (Ontario) and York Centre (Ontario).
  • On July 1, 2020, Elections Canada celebrated its 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the agency published a third edition of A History of the Vote.vi This publication presents an account of the struggles and reforms that have shaped Canada's electoral system and provides a current chronology of the franchise and voting practices in Canada.

For more information on Election Canada's plans, priorities and results achieved, see the "Results: What We Achieved" section of this report.

Footnotes

Footnote iii Special Report of the Chief Electoral Officer: Administering an Election during the COVID-19 Pandemic, https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rep/oth/sprep&document=index&lang=e

Footnote iv Bill C-19, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (COVID-19 response), https://lop.parl.ca/sites/PublicWebsite/default/en_CA/ResearchPublications/LegislativeSummaries/432C19E

Footnote v 2020–28 Strategic Plan, https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=stra&document=index&lang=e

Footnote vi A History of the Vote, https://www.elections.ca/res/his/WEB_EC%2091135%20History%20of%20the%20Vote_Third%20edition_EN.pdf