National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data Canada. Elections Canada Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada on the 37th general election held on November 27, 2000 Text in English and French on inverted pages. Title on added t.p.: Rapport du directeur général des élections du Canada sur la 37e élection générale tenue le 27 novembre 2000. ISBN 0-662-65548-6 Cat. No. SE1-1/2000 1. Canada. Parliament—Elections, 2000. 2. Elections—Canada. I. Title. II. Title: Rapport du directeur général des élections du Canada sur la 37e élection générale tenue le 27 novembre 2000 JL193.R46 2001 324'.0971'0648 C2001-980083-5E © Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, 2001 Cat. No. SE1-1/2000 ISBN 0-662-65548-6 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Design: Stanley Design Communications The statistical data in this report are to be considered preliminary; final figures will be published in Thirty-seventh General Election 2000: Official Voting Results, in accordance with paragraph 533(a) of the Canada Elections Act. PRINTED IN CANADA For enquiries, please contact: Public Enquiries Unit Elections Canada 257 Slater Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0M6 Tel.: 1 800 INFO-VOTE (1 800 463-6868) Fax: (613) 954-8584 TTY: 1 800 361-8935 Web site: www.elections.ca March 19, 2001 The Honourable Peter Milliken Speaker of the House of Commons Centre Block, House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Dear Mr. Speaker: I have the honour to submit my report, which covers the administration of my Office since the publication of my last report and, more specifically, the administration of the 37th general election held on November 27, 2000. My report is submitted in accordance with subsection 534(1) of the Canada Elections Act, S.C. 2000, c. 9, within ninety days after the return of the writs of election. Information has been included on the results of the election, together with an account of the events. The official voting results will be published later, in accordance with paragraph 533(a) of the Act. Yours truly, Jean-Pierre Kingsley Table of Contents Foreword ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Executive Summary --------------------------------------------------------------11 I. Our Mandate Is …--------------------------------------------------------------15 Event readiness -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 The new Canada Elections Act ---------------------------------------------------------- 15 The National Register of Electors ------------------------------------------------------- 16 Electoral geography ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Information technology------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Training and support for returning officers -------------------------------------------- 21 Delivering electoral events ------------------------------------------------------------- 22 10 by-elections ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Enforcing the Canada Elections Act---------------------------------------------------- 24 Public education, information and support ---------------------------------------- 25 New developments in voter education and information ----------------------------- 25 Reports and publications ----------------------------------------------------------------- 27 Liaison with Parliament and political parties------------------------------------------ 29 Relations with the academic community----------------------------------------------- 30 International activities -------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 II. The November 2000 General Election-------------------------------------33 The launch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33 Local offices set up------------------------------------------------------------------------ 33 All systems activated---------------------------------------------------------------------- 34 Expanded staff ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 Enquiries from electors ------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 Redesigned Web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 36 Supporting the media---------------------------------------------------------------------- 36 Special ballots and the Special Voting Rules --------------------------------------- 37 Voting by special ballot------------------------------------------------------------------- 37 Local and national voting----------------------------------------------------------------- 38 International voting------------------------------------------------------------------------ 39 Canadian Forces voting------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 Voting in acute care hospitals------------------------------------------------------------ 41 Voting in correctional institutions------------------------------------------------------- 41 v Communications --------------------------------------------------------------------------42 Public information -------------------------------------------------------------------------42 Reaching out to youth ---------------------------------------------------------------------45 Ethnocultural communities ---------------------------------------------------------------45 Information for Aboriginal electors -----------------------------------------------------46 Voters with special needs ----------------------------------------------------------------46 The general election on the Web---------------------------------------------------------47 Media information and issues ------------------------------------------------------------49 Official languages --------------------------------------------------------------------------50 Ready in the ridings ----------------------------------------------------------------------51 Returning officers --------------------------------------------------------------------------51 Returning offices and polling sites-------------------------------------------------------52 Accessibility --------------------------------------------------------------------------------53 Hiring and training local staff ------------------------------------------------------------54 The electronic office -----------------------------------------------------------------------55 Support for local offices-------------------------------------------------------------------56 Contingency plans for emergencies -----------------------------------------------------56 Ready in remote areas ---------------------------------------------------------------------57 Preparing the voters lists----------------------------------------------------------------58 The Register’s data quality----------------------------------------------------------------58 Four iterations of the voters lists ---------------------------------------------------------60 Revision -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------60 The voter information card----------------------------------------------------------------63 The effectiveness of revision -------------------------------------------------------------64 Registered political parties----------------------------------------------------------------67 Election advertising ----------------------------------------------------------------------68 Third party advertising --------------------------------------------------------------------68 The Harper case----------------------------------------------------------------------------69 Election advertising and the Web--------------------------------------------------------70 Advertising blackouts----------------------------------------------------------------------71 Election surveys ----------------------------------------------------------------------------71 Political broadcasting time----------------------------------------------------------------72 Nominations--------------------------------------------------------------------------------72 Who can be nominated?-------------------------------------------------------------------72 Election expenses and limits--------------------------------------------------------------75 Public disclosure ---------------------------------------------------------------------------77 List of candidates---------------------------------------------------------------------------78 Ballots----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------78 vi Advance polls ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79 Objections ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79 Candidates’ representatives -------------------------------------------------------------- 80 Voting on election day------------------------------------------------------------------- 80 Homeless voters---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 81 Monday morning, November 27 -------------------------------------------------------- 82 Counting the ballots ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 84 Premature transmission of election results--------------------------------------------- 85 Results on election day ------------------------------------------------------------------- 85 More to do after election day ---------------------------------------------------------- 86 Validation