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2021–22 Departmental Results Report

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus Capacity

Elections Canada's ability to collect and analyze data according to intersectional criteria using election-related public opinion research remains strong. For the 2021–22 fiscal year, the National Electors Study, the Survey of Election Officers, and the Survey of Candidates all collected data on gender, age, Indigenous and immigration status, and functional disability. All results presented in survey reports are analyzed by a comprehensive series of subgroups; any statistically significant difference is highlighted in the reports. More work remains to be done to analyze these data along intersectional lines; for example, combining gender with disability or immigration status. Further, many data gaps are yet to be filled: The ability to disaggregate existing administrative data, and to increase the availability of socio-demographic variables in those data, is expected to be a key component of the GBA Plus workplan.

Internally, the working group on employment equity, diversity, and inclusion that was launched in December 2020 became the EEDI core team and was strengthened by the inclusion of a team of employee representatives who self-identify as a member of one or more equity-seeking groups. The new team continued its efforts to ensure the workplace is equitable and inclusive for all employees regardless of race, background, and abilities. A focus on employees' intersectional identities is part of the group's mandate. In 2021–22, an employee forum was held on official languages, and a speaker series started, in which a variety of speakers share their lived experiences on subjects relating to and impacting diversity and inclusion.

Elections Canada was unable to complete significant new action on GBA Plus governance in 2021–22 due to substantial staffing challenges in a tight labour market, as well as the prioritization of work related to the preparation for, delivery of, and reporting on the 44th general election held in September 2021. The agency continued to ensure its products and services were accessible to all Canadians, including groups that are known to face barriers to electoral participation, such as electors with disabilities, Indigenous electors, youth, and new Canadians.

In addition, work was begun to plan EC's approach to GBA Plus in terms of scope, timeline, and internal organization. This work is ongoing and expected to yield results in 2022–23 in the form of a GBA Plus responsibility centre with a well-defined scope of services and responsibilities.

Section 2: Gender and Diversity Impacts, by Program

For each program, we present disaggregated data where it is available.

Note that program names and scope have changed since FY 2021–22. The results reported here reflect the program names from the 2021–22 departmental plan.

Table 2a: Gender and Diversity Impacts: Voting Services Delivery and Field Management

Core Responsibility: Electoral Administration and Oversight

Target Population: All electors (Canadian citizens aged 18+), election candidates

Distribution of Benefits:1
by Gender Broadly gender-balanced
by Income Level No significant distributional impacts
by Age Group No significant differences by age groups

Key Impacts: Statistics Observed Results* Data Source Comment
Percentage of candidates who are satisfied with the services and products provided by Elections Canada No significant differences by gender, age group, Indigenous or disability status Survey of Candidates 2021 N/A
Percentage of voters satisfied with their overall voting experience Overall satisfaction is high among all subgroups. However, the following subgroups are more likely to be unsatisfied:
  • Non-binary and trans electors (8.5%), compared with men (4.4%) and women (3.8%)
  • Younger electors aged 18–34 (5.6%) and 35–54 (5.0%), compared to older electors aged 55+ (3.2%)
  • Electors with a severe or very severe disability (7%), compared with those with a mild/moderate disability (5.0%) and those without (3.6%)
NES 2021: Voter Experience Report N/A

Supplementary Information Sources:

  • The 2021 National Electors Study: Report on Voter Experience presents detailed findings on electors' experience of and satisfaction with electoral services.
  • The Survey of Candidates following the 44th general election presents detailed findings on candidates' experience of the 2021 general election.

Both reports systematically report on statistically significant differences by gender, age group, Indigenous status, and disability status, among other variables.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

  • Data collection with electors and candidates is mature and data are available, following each electoral event, to look into satisfaction with services among different groups and subgroups, including youth and seniors, new citizens, Indigenous electors, and electors with a disability.
  • Analyses that look at intersectional identities, for example, comparing Indigenous men and women, will be considered in the agency's 2020–2025 research agenda to better understand political engagement, barriers to voting, and services to electors.
  • Due to data limitations, GBA Plus is not currently conducted on geographical indicators such as proximity to polling sites or on site-based criteria such as accessibility. This may be considered in the GBA Plus workplan for the coming years.

Table 2b: Gender and Diversity Impacts: National Register of Electors (NRoE) and Electoral Geography

Core Responsibility: Electoral Administration and Oversight

Target Population: All electors (Canadian citizens 18+)

Distribution of Benefits:
by Gender Data N/A
by Income Level Data N/A
by Age Group Lower coverage among very young electors aged 18–24

Key Impacts: Statistics Observed Results* Data Source Comment
Coverage: Percentage of electors included in the NRoE Gender-disaggregated data are not available.

Coverage of the NRoE is high overall (96% in September 2021), but it is lower for youth 18–24 (78.4%).
Report on the 44th General Election – Appendix A Age-disaggregated registration data for 2021 will be published in late 2022.

Supplementary Data Sources:

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

  • Data from the NRoE includes information on age, region, and gender, the latter for some but not all electors. Further data disaggregation may be integrated in the GBA Plus workplan for the coming years.

Table 2c: Gender and Diversity Impacts: Public Education and Information

Core Responsibility: Electoral Administration and Oversight

Target Population: All electors (Canadian citizens 18+)

Distribution of Benefits:
by Gender Broadly gender-balanced
by Income Level No significant distributional impacts
by Age Group Older electors are generally better informed about the electoral process.

Key Impacts: Statistics Observed Results* Data Source Comment
Percentage of electors who are aware of the main voting methods No gender differences observed.

The following subgroup differences were observed:
  • Indigenous electors were less likely to be aware of the option to vote at an advance polling station (49% versus 62% of non-Indigenous electors) and by mail (53% versus 71%).
  • 18- to 24-year-olds were less likely to be aware of the option to vote at an advance poll (42%) than 25- to 34-year-olds (54%) and those aged 35 and older (65%).
  • Electors with a disability were less likely to mention in-person on election day (83% versus 90% of electors without a disability) and by mail (65% versus 72%).
NES 2021: Voter Information Campaign Report This measure uses the unaided question asked only to the telephone sample.
Percentage of electors who are satisfied with the information provided by Elections Canada No gender differences observed.

After the election, the likelihood of being satisfied with the information received was lower among:
  • electors with a disability (92%), specifically those with a severe or very severe disability (87%), compared to electors without a disability (95%)
  • Indigenous electors (89%), compared to non-Indigenous electors (94%)
  • First Nations electors living on a reserve (82%), compared to their off-reserve counterparts (91%)
  • electors 18 to 24 years old (89%) compared to those aged 25 to 34 (92%) and those aged 35 and older (95%)
NES 2021: Voter Information Campaign Report The general indicator is based on respondents who answered during the advance voting and election day phases of the election period survey only. Disaggregated data are not available for these phases only.

The numbers presented here reflect post-electoral responses.
Percentage of electors who identify Elections Canada as their first source of information about the voting process No gender differences observed.

The following subgroups of electors were less likely to identify EC as the organization that first comes to mind as a source of information on the voting process:
  • electors with a disability (61% versus 69% of those without a disability)
  • Indigenous electors (52% versus 67% of non-Indigenous electors)
  • First Nations electors who live on a reserve (24% versus 59% of First Nations electors not living on a reserve)
  • Canadians by birth (66%) and those who became citizens before the 2015 general election (67%) compared to new Canadians (72%)
  • youth aged 18–24 (59% versus 64% of electors aged 25–34 and 67% of those aged 35 and older)
NES 2021: Voter Information Campaign Report None

Supplementary Information Sources:

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

  • This program is primarily evaluated through survey data. Data collection through surveys is mature and allows systematic analysis by various subgroups.
  • The agency plans to continue collecting this information from electors around electoral events, including by-elections and general elections.

Table 2d: Gender and Diversity Impacts: Electoral Integrity and Regulatory Oversight

Core Responsibility: Electoral Administration and Oversight

Target Population: All electors (Canadian citizens 18+)

Distribution of Benefits:
by Gender Broadly gender-balanced, with slightly more women having a positive perception of the administration of elections
by Income Level Data N/A
by Age Group The perception of the administration of elections is higher among senior electors and lower among younger age groups.

Key Impacts: Statistics Observed Results* Data Source Comment
Percentage of Canadians who have a positive perception of the administration of elections No observed gender differences in people's opinion on whether or not Elections Canada ran the election fairly.

The likelihood of saying the election was run very fairly:
  • increased with age, from 58% of electors aged 18–34 to 77% of those aged 55 and older
  • increased with education, from 60% of those with high school or less to 75% of electors who had completed university
  • decreased as the severity of a disability increased (from 72% of electors with no disability to 60% of those with a severe/very severe disability)
No observed gender differences in trust in the accuracy of results in their riding.

The likelihood of expressing very high trust in the accuracy of results:
  • increased with age, from 63% of electors 18–34 to 79% of those aged 55 and older
  • increased with education, from 57% of those with high school or less to 80% of electors who had completed university
  • decreased as the severity of a disability increased (from 75% of those with no disability to 61% of those with a severe/very severe disability)
NES 2021: Voter Experience Report This key impact comprises two separate measures: level of trust in the accuracy of election results, and perception that Elections Canada ran the election fairly.

Here we report on each measure separately.

Additional Information Sources:

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

  • In FY 2021–22 the agency did not work on disaggregating its administrative data from political financing databases. This work may be integrated in the GBA Plus workplan for the coming years.

Table 2e: Gender and Diversity Impacts: Compliance and Enforcement

Core Responsibility: Electoral Compliance and Enforcement

Target Population: All electors (Canadian citizens 18+)

Distribution of Benefits:
by Gender Data N/A
by Income Level Data N/A
by Age Group Data N/A

Key Impacts: Statistics Observed Results* Data Source Comment
N/A N/A

Key Impacts:

  • Not relevant. This program is evaluated based on the proportion of complaints resulting in compliance measures and criminal enforcement measures.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

  • GBA Plus does not apply to these indicators.

Footnotes

1 We use text instead of a table to make this information more accessible.