Elections Canada
Encyclopedia
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada
. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections
and referenda
through an open and impartial process. Elections Canada is the sole agency responsible for administering Canadian federal elections.
The Canadian House of Commons
appoints the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada
to head the agency. The Chief Electoral Officer in turn appoints the Commissioner of Canada Elections, who ensures that the Canada Elections Act is enforced; and the Broadcasting Arbitrator, who allocates paid and free broadcasting time during electoral events. The Chief Electoral Officer is seconded by the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and Chief Legal Counsel and a staff of some 330 representing five executive directorates. During an election, staff at Elections Canada headquarters increases to 600 and to approximately 190,000 across Canada.
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections
Elections in Canada
Canada holds elections for several levels of government: nationally , provincially and territorially, and municipally. Elections are also held for self governing First Nations and for many other public and private organizations including corporations and trade unions...
and referenda
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
through an open and impartial process. Elections Canada is the sole agency responsible for administering Canadian federal elections.
Mandate
Its responsibilities include:- Making sure that all voters have access to the electoral system
- Informing citizens about the electoral system
- Maintaining the National Register of ElectorsNational Register of ElectorsThe National Register of Electors is a continuously-updated permanent database of eligible electors for federal elections in Canada maintained by Elections Canada...
- 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 districtsElectoral district (Canada)An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
every ten years - Reporting to Parliament on the administration of elections and referendums
The Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
appoints the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada
Chief Electoral Officer (Canada)
The Chief Electoral Officer is the person responsible for overseeing elections in Canada.The position of Chief Electoral Officer was created in 1920 by the Dominion Elections Act. The Chief Electoral Officer is appointed by a resolution of the Canadian House of Commons...
to head the agency. The Chief Electoral Officer in turn appoints the Commissioner of Canada Elections, who ensures that the Canada Elections Act is enforced; and the Broadcasting Arbitrator, who allocates paid and free broadcasting time during electoral events. The Chief Electoral Officer is seconded by the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and Chief Legal Counsel and a staff of some 330 representing five executive directorates. During an election, staff at Elections Canada headquarters increases to 600 and to approximately 190,000 across Canada.
See also
- Elections in CanadaElections in CanadaCanada holds elections for several levels of government: nationally , provincially and territorially, and municipally. Elections are also held for self governing First Nations and for many other public and private organizations including corporations and trade unions...
- Canadian federal election, 2006Canadian federal election, 2006The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
- Canadian federal election, 2008Canadian federal election, 2008The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
- Canadian federal election, 2011
- Federal political financing in CanadaFederal political financing in CanadaThe fair and transparent financing of political parties, candidates, and election campaigns is a key determinant in the health and proper functioning of a democracy...
- List of federal political parties in Canada