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Chief Electoral Officer's Message

In 2009–2010, Elections Canada had three areas of focus for its activities: election readiness, longer-term improvements and internal management development.

Election Readiness

Again in this reporting period, we continued to operate in the environment of a minority government. The immediate priority was to return to a full state of readiness and be prepared to conduct a general election. We succeeded in achieving readiness by the target date of September 1, 2009.

On February 2, 2010, the Chief Electoral Officer adopted an updated version of the Regulation Adapting the Canada Elections Act for the Purposes of a Referendum. This update integrates the extensive amendments made to the Canada Elections Act since 2001. This represents an important step toward eventually facilitating our work when we are able to focus some resources on referendum readiness. In the current minority government environment, however, this is a lower priority.

The agency also conducted four by elections on November 9, 2009. These proceeded smoothly, despite the H1N1 flu outbreak, and provided an opportunity to introduce a number of measures aimed at improving the administration of electoral events and services to electors.

Longer-Term Improvements

During the year, the agency continued to make progress on its Strategic Plan 2008–2013. We continued work on the on-line registration project and began engaging our stakeholders. The agency also made progress on Internet voting by hosting a workshop at Carleton University to explore considerations and lessons learned for Canada. The workshop examined Internet voting trials that have taken place at the municipal level in Canada and in European jurisdictions.

However, as we design new approaches to improving services to Canadians, we need to exercise vigilance with regard to the quality of our existing services and ensure that they are not taken for granted. In February 2010, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled against Elections Canada in a complaint brought by an elector with limited mobility. This decision acted as a reminder of the importance of maintaining basic services such as physical access to polling sites. We are complying with the Tribunal’s orders.

On June 7, 2010, my report Responding to Changing Needs: Recommendations from the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada Following the 40th General Election was submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons. The report provides a series of recommendations that deal with such issues as achieving a more adaptable and effective electoral process, preserving trust, increasing accessibility, maintaining the integrity of the system and reducing the regulatory burden. Some of the legislative changes being sought are necessary to implement the long-term direction set out in our strategic plan, particularly as it relates to providing Canadians with electronic electoral services. The report draws on Elections Canada’s experiences during the January 2006 and October 2008 general elections.

Internal Management Development

In 2009–2010, Elections Canada completed an extensive A-base review to assess whether we had the financial and human resources needed to deliver on our mandate over the next five-year period. The resulting report identifies a number of resource gaps and includes recommendations to improve the agency’s organizational performance. In the short term, we are adjusting our programs and reallocating resources.

In the past fiscal year, the agency pursued its Information Technology Renewal Project. We renewed core technologies such as servers, data storage and databases, and made significant progress on the relocation of our existing data centre. We also continued the work required to migrate field applications to a Web-based platform and centralize elector data, both of which are key components of our on-line services strategy.

Finally, in 2009–2010, Elections Canada began the process of reviewing our Program Activity Architecture – the basis on which we report on our plans and performance – to better reflect the results we deliver to Canadians. We plan to introduce our new reporting structure in our Report on Plans and Priorities for the 2011–2012 fiscal year.

____________________________
Marc Mayrand
Chief Electoral Officer of Canada

Section I – Agency Overview

Raison d'être

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, commonly known as Elections Canada, is an independent, non-partisan agency that reports directly to Parliament. Its mandate is to:

• be prepared at all times to conduct a federal general election, by-election or referendum
  
  
• administer the political financing provisions of the Canada Elections Act
  
  
• monitor compliance and enforce electoral legislation
  
  
• conduct voter education and information programs
  
  
• provide support to the independent commissions in charge of adjusting the boundaries of federal electoral districts following each decennial census
  
  
• carry out studies on alternative voting methods and, with the approval of Parliament, test electronic voting processes for future use during electoral events

Responsibilities

In fulfillment of this mandate, Elections Canada appoints 308 returning officers and retains the services of 30 field liaison officers across Canada. It provides training and support to these election officers, as well as to 308 assistant returning officers and more than 120 additional assistant returning officers.

The agency maintains the National Register of Electors as well as the electoral geography information that provides the basis for preparing maps and other geographic products used during electoral events.

Elections Canada also:

• registers political entities, including political parties, electoral district associations, candidates, leadership contestants, third parties that engage in election advertising and referendum committees
  
  
• administers the allowances, reimbursements and subsidies paid to eligible candidates, registered political parties and auditors
  
  
• monitors compliance with the Canada Elections Act
  
  
• discloses information on registered parties and electoral district associations, nomination contestants and leadership contestants of registered parties, candidates, third parties and referendum committees, including their financial returns

In addition, the agency recommends to Parliament amendments for the better administration of the Canada Elections Act. It does this through the statutory reports of the Chief Electoral Officer after electoral events as well as through the provision of expert advice when Parliament studies electoral reform.

Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture

Elections Canada has a single strategic outcome, supported by the following Program Activity Architecture (PAA):

Note: Our PAA remains unchanged for 2009–2010. However, we are presenting financial and human resources for internal services as a program to reflect what has been presented in the Main Estimates

Summary of Performance

2009–2010 Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
119,635	141,902	137,762

2009–2010 Human Resources – Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs)

Planned	Actual	Difference*
394	497	103

* Actual FTEs include temporary resources to maintain election readiness. Please note that planned FTEs did not include the provision of temporary resources.

Financial Resources by Key Program

The following chart summarizes Elections Canada’s key programs (mandated priorities and internal services), which complement our single strategic outcome.

Mandated Priority (Key Program)	2008–2009 Actual Spending ($ thousands)	2009–2010 Main Estimates ($ thousands)	2010–2010 Planned Spending ($ thousands)	2009–2010 Total Authorities ($ thousands)	2009–2010 Actual Spending ($ thousands)
Key Program 1: Electoral event delivery, political financing, and compliance and enforcement	270,314	39,876	39,876	44,471	43,672
Key Program 2: Electoral event readiness and improvements	78,007	43,906	43,906	48,341	46,882
Key Program 3: Public education and information, and support for stakeholders	6,843	10,628	10,628	6,012	5,670
Key Program 4: Electoral boundaries redistribution	-	-	-	91	91
Internal services1	-	25,225	25,225	42,987	41,447
Total	355,164	119,635	119,635	141,902	137,762

¹ As of the 2009–2010 Estimates cycle, the resources for internal services are displayed separately from other programs; they are no longer distributed among the remaining programs, as was the case in previous Main Estimates. This has affected the comparability of spending and FTE information by program between fiscal years.

Contribution of Priorities to the Strategic Outcome

Operational Priority	Type	Assessment of Progress Toward Priority
1. Maintain a state of readiness to deliver electoral events	Ongoing	Elections Canada completed preparations to achieve a full state of readiness by the target date of September 1, 2009. The agency also developed contingency plans for the possibility that an election would be called before readiness activities had been completed. In view of the H1N1 flu outbreak in fall 2009, Elections Canada developed an agency-wide pandemic plan.
2. Implement a registration process that allows electors to register in person, by mail, telephone or Internet anytime and anywhere2	Previously committed to	Elections Canada continued work on the on‑line registration project initiated during the previous fiscal year. The target date for having the service operational is now October 2011. Some of the proposed functionalities require legislative amendments before they can be fully implemented. The full range of on-line registration services may therefore be available only at a later date.
3. Deepen our knowledge of youth engagement and pursue a comprehensive analysis of current information and programs	Previously committed to	To address issues such as barriers to youth voting, the agency undertook research and participated with key stakeholders in a number of initiatives directly targeting youth. We also worked with governmental and non-governmental partners in the areas of civic and democratic engagement and youth involvement.
4. Complete the modernization of Special Voting Rules (SVR) information management	Previously committed to	The agency continued to advance its SVR System (SVRS) Redevelopment Project, and Phase 1 was implemented in June 2009. The SVRS will be fully operational in March 2011 and will be used in subsequent electoral events.
5. Expand training programs and tools for political entities and Elections Canada employees	Ongoing	Elections Canada has completed the first module of an on‑line tutorial for official agents and financial agents. This delivers training to widely dispersed clients who would otherwise not have access to it.

² This initiative was identified as a key strategy in our Strategic Plan 2008–2013.

 

Management Priority	Type	Assessment of Progress Toward Priority
1. Update our Information Technology (IT) and field systems	Previously committed to	Elections Canada continued with the multi-year renewal of its IT environment. In 2009–2010, it moved 95% of its IT systems from its own premises to a more modern facility. The move ensures a robust, expandable and secure data centre. The renewal of core technologies has improved the performance of business systems.
2. Establish a corporate learning function at Elections Canada	New	Under its new Human Resources Strategy, the agency began implementing a corporate learning function to provide enhanced training opportunities for Elections Canada managers and staff. Starting in January 2009, an orientation program was also initiated for new employees. Elections Canada launched its Leadership Assignment Program to ensure adequate succession for senior management positions.
3. A-base review	New	Elections Canada completed an internal review to assess whether it had the necessary financial and human resources to deliver on its mandate over the next five years. The review confirmed the existence of funding gaps in some areas and made recommendations for addressing them.

Operating Environment and Risk Analysis

Elections Canada’s 2009–2010 Report on Plans and Priorities identified five main risks:

• a short and uncertain business cycle in a context of minority governments, with the resultant organizational strain arising from maintaining a constant state of heightened readiness
  
  
• the complexity of the statutory regime governing the activities of political parties
  
  
• the possibility of a federal referendum
  
  
• human resources challenges
  
  
• an aging IT infrastructure

Following is a brief overview of how these risks materialized in 2009–2010, how the agency managed them and what the implications are for its performance.

Short and uncertain business cycle – The length of Elections Canada’s business cycle remained unpredictable in 2009–2010. To deal with this uncertainty, the agency has refined its internal readiness process so that many preparation activities can be performed when an electoral event becomes imminent.

Our current operational context, however, impedes the pace at which we can pursue longer-term objectives. In 2010–2011, we will review our strategic plan, assess the progress made to date and determine whether adjustments are required.

Complexity of the statutory regime governing political parties – Political entities often lack capacity to implement the complex set of rules now governing their activities. Consequently, they rely more heavily on guidance from Elections Canada. This situation reinforces the importance of ongoing communications with our stakeholders. In 2009–2010, the agency began an exercise to rationalize its regulatory tools and products. Under this initiative, we reviewed all of our correspondence templates to make communications more effective. We also made changes to the Elections Canada Web site so that visitors could more easily find information about political financing.

Possibility of a referendum – While Elections Canada has no capacity at this time to devote to referendum readiness, the Chief Electoral Officer adopted an updated version of the Regulation Adapting the Canada Elections Act for the Purposes of a Referendum on February 2, 2010. This update ensures that the regulation reflects amendments made to the Canada Elections Act since 2001, thereby greatly facilitating agency preparations when they are to be initiated. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs discussed the new regulation with the Chief Electoral Officer and has begun a review of the current Referendum Act.

Human resources challenges – Successive minority governments and legislative reforms have placed considerable pressure on our staff. In response, in fall 2009, we unveiled a comprehensive Human Resources Strategy for the period up to 2013. It sets out our commitment to invest in our employees, give them the learning and development opportunities they need to grow professionally and ensure that they can meet the current and future needs of electors and political entities. We will assess the impact of our Human Resources Strategy starting in 2010–2011.

Aging IT infrastructure – Elections Canada has been undertaking a multi-year initiative to renew its IT infrastructure, which has reached the end of its lifespan and cannot meet new requirements, such as providing electronic services to voters. In 2009–2010, the agency moved 95 percent of its IT systems from its own premises to a data centre provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada. This was required to ensure that we could rely on a robust, expandable and secure facility, one that is able to meet future requirements. The previous data centre had reached capacity and had experienced several issues related to inadequate facilities. The agency continues to migrate aging field applications to a Web platform, which will use and leverage modern, standardized technologies.

One further challenge not mentioned in the 2009–2010 Report on Plans and Priorities emerged during the reporting period.

Tribunal decision on accessibility – On February 12, 2010, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal issued its ruling in the case of James Peter Hughes v. Elections Canada. The Tribunal ruled that Elections Canada failed to provide level access to a polling station in the electoral district of Toronto Centre during the March 2008 by‑election as well as in the October 2008 general election. The Tribunal’s decision requires the agency to implement remedial actions. These have been integrated into our strategic accessibility agenda and will be implemented during 2010–2011.

Expenditure Profile

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer is funded by an annual appropriation that provides for the salaries of permanent full-time staff and by the statutory authorities contained in the Canada Elections Act, the Referendum Act and the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. The statutory authorities provide for all other expenditures, including the costs of electoral events, reimbursements of election expenses to eligible candidates and parties, quarterly allowances for eligible political parties, redistribution of electoral boundaries and expenses incurred by the Commissioner of Canada Elections, or on behalf of the Commissioner, in connection with the enforcement of the legislation. There are two further statutory items: the salary of the Chief Electoral Officer and contributions to employee benefit plans.

Spending Trend

Total spending in fiscal year 2008–2009 was $218 million higher than in 2009–2010 because a general election occurred during that fiscal year. The expenses of a general election include the salaries of election personnel, office rental and equipment, and printing of election materials for 308 electoral districts; the rental of 65,000 polling stations across Canada; and the reimbursement of election expenses to political parties and candidates.

Voted and Statutory Items

($Thousands)

Vote # or Statutory Item (S)	Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording	2007–2008	2008–2009	2009–2010	2009–2010	2009–2010
		Actual Spending	Actual Spending	Main Estimates	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
15	Program expenditures	20,627	23,738	27,397	30,886	26,746
S	Expenses of elections	95,167	325,345	87,316	104,523	104,523
S	Salary of Chief Electoral Officer	253	265	265	299	299
S	Contributions to employee benefit plans	4,693	5,816	4,657	6,194	6,194
	Total	120,740	355,164	119,635	141,902	137,762

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