Final Report: Protecting Public Health and Democracy During a Possible Pandemic Election
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FINAL REPORT: PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH AND DEMOCRACY DURING A POSSIBLE PANDEMIC ELECTION Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs Ruby Sahota, Chair FEBRUARY 2021 43rd PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION Published under the authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons SPEAKER’S PERMISSION The proceedings of the House of Commons and its Committees are hereby made available to provide greater public access. The parliamentary privilege of the House of Commons to control the publication and broadcast of the proceedings of the House of Commons and its Committees is nonetheless reserved. All copyrights therein are also reserved. Reproduction of the proceedings of the House of Commons and its Committees, in whole or in part and in any medium, is hereby permitted provided that the reproduction is accurate and is not presented as official. This permission does not extend to reproduction, distribution or use for commercial purpose of financial gain. 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For greater certainty, this permission does not affect the prohibition against impeaching or questioning the proceedings of the House of Commons in courts or otherwise. The House of Commons retains the right and privilege to find users in contempt of Parliament if a reproduction or use is not in accordance with this permission. Also available on the House of Commons website at the following address: www.ourcommons.ca FINAL REPORT: PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH AND DEMOCRACY DURING A POSSIBLE PANDEMIC ELECTION Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs Ruby Sahota Chair FEBRUARY 2021 43rd PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION NOTICE TO READER Reports from committee presented to the House of Commons Presenting a report to the House is the way a committee makes public its findings and recommendations on a particular topic. Substantive reports on a subject-matter study usually contain a synopsis of the testimony heard, the recommendations made by the committee, as well as the reasons for those recommendations. STANDING COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS CHAIR Ruby Sahota VICE-CHAIRS John Nater Alain Therrien MEMBERS Daniel Blaikie Hon. Kirsty Duncan Mark Gerretsen Hon. Peter Kent Stéphane Lauzon Tom Lukiwski Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor Ryan Turnbull Karen Vecchio OTHER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WHO PARTICIPATED Hon. Omar Alghabra Dean Allison Vance Badawey Chris Bittle Rachel Blaney Bob Bratina Blaine Calkins Serge Cormier Todd Doherty François Drouin Peter Fragiskatos iii Garnett Genuis Marilyn Gladu Wayne Long Elizabeth May Kelly McCauley Christine Normandin Sherry Romanado Darrell Samson Scott Simms David Sweet Corey Tochor CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE Justin Vaive LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Parliamentary Information and Research Service Andre Barnes, Analyst Laurence Brosseau, Analyst iv THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS has the honour to present its TWELFTH REPORT Pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(3)(a)(vi), the committee has studied the conduct of a federal election during the COVID-19 pandemic and has agreed to report the following: v TABLE OF CONTENTS FINAL REPORT: PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH AND DEMOCRACY DURING A POSSIBLE PANDEMIC ELECTION ..................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 i. Background .......................................................................................................................... 1 ii. Overview of health data in Canada for COVID-19 ................................................. 2 Oral Testimony Heard by the Committee .............................................................................. 5 Testimony of Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer .............................................................. 5 A. Preparing for increased mail-in ballot capacity ............................................. 7 B. Enhanced engagement with First Nations communities ............................ 8 C. Extending the election period ............................................................................... 8 D. Adjusting the Chief Electoral Officer’s power ................................................. 9 E. Conduct of the election at the polls ..................................................................... 9 Testimony of Canada Post Corporation’s General Manager ................................. 10 Electors Facing Increased Barriers due to COVID-19 ..................................................... 12 A. People with disabilities ................................................................................................ 12 i. Communications ...................................................................................................... 13 ii. Vote by mail ............................................................................................................... 13 iii. Vote by phone ........................................................................................................... 13 iv. Duration of election period ................................................................................. 13 v. Alternative voting methods ................................................................................. 14 B. Indigenous voters ........................................................................................................... 14 i. Communications ...................................................................................................... 14 ii. Vote by mail ............................................................................................................... 15 iii. Access to polling places ........................................................................................ 15 C. Canadians living in poverty ........................................................................................ 15 i. Communications ...................................................................................................... 16 ii. Vote by mail ............................................................................................................... 16 vii iii. Access to polling places ........................................................................................ 17 iv. Duration of election period ................................................................................. 17 D. Students ............................................................................................................................. 18 i. Communications ...................................................................................................... 18 ii. Vote by mail ............................................................................................................... 18 iii. Vote by phone ........................................................................................................... 19 iv. Access to polling places ........................................................................................ 19 v. Duration of election period ................................................................................. 19 E. Immigrants and refugees ............................................................................................ 20 i. Communications ...................................................................................................... 20 ii. Vote by mail ............................................................................................................... 21 iii. Duration of election period ................................................................................. 21 iv. Alternative voting methods ................................................................................. 21 Witnesses on Democracy, Health and Communities ...................................................... 22 A. Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario .......................................................... 22 i. Communications ...................................................................................................... 22 ii. Impacts of health and safety protocols on accessibility ........................... 22 iii. Access to polling places ........................................................................................ 23 iv. Duration of election period ................................................................................. 24 B. Mr. André Blais, Professor at Université de Montréal’s Department of Political Science .............................................................................................................. 24 i. Proposals of