Elections Canada () is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering Canadian federal elections and

referendums A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a direct vote by the electorate (rather than their representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either binding (resulting in the adoption of a new policy) or advis ...

History

Elections Canada is an agency of the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada () is the Canadian federalism, federal legislature of Canada. The Monarchy of Canada, Crown, along with two chambers: the Senate of Canada, Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons, form the Bicameral ...

, and reports directly to Parliament rather than to the

Government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...

. The agency was created under the government of Jean Chretien by the Canada Elections Act on 31 May 2000.

Responsibilities

Elections Canada is responsible for: * Making sure that all voters have access to the electoral system * Informing citizens about the electoral system * Maintaining the

National Register of Electors The National Register of Electors () is a continuously updated permanent database of eligible electors for federal elections in Canada maintained by Elections Canada. It was established in December 1996 when Bill C-63 was granted royal assent an ...

and International Register of Electors * Enforcing electoral legislation * Training election officers * Producing maps of electoral districts * Registering political parties, electoral district associations, and third parties that engage in election advertising * Administering the allowances paid to registered political parties * Monitoring election spending by candidates, political parties and third parties * Publishing financial information on political parties, electoral district associations, candidates, nomination contestants, leadership contestants and third parties * Supporting the independent commissions responsible for adjusting the boundaries of federal electoral districts every ten years * Reporting to Parliament on the administration of elections and referendums

Appointments and staff

The

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

appoints the chief electoral officer to head the agency. The chief electoral officer also appoints the commissioner of Canada elections (), who ensures that the '' Canada Elections Act'' is enforced. The broadcasting arbitrator (), who allocates paid and free broadcasting time during electoral events, is appointed by a unanimous decision of registered political parties in the House of Commons, or by the chief electoral officer if the parties fail to agree a candidate. The chief electoral officer is seconded by the deputy chief electoral officer, chief legal counsel and around 500 to 600 staff, mainly situated in the National Capital Region. During a general election or referendum, this rises to 235,000 workers

Compliance, enforcement and regulation

The Commissioner of Canada Elections is responsible for regulating federal electoral events and enforcing compliance with the ''Canada Elections Act''. Before 2018, the commissioner was appointed in consultation with the director of public prosecutions and was overseen by the director, but has since become part of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

References

Notes

External links

* {{authority control

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Federal departments and agencies of Canada Government agencies established in 1920 1920 establishments in Canada Organizations based in Gatineau