What does Elections Canada do?

Elections Canada is the independent, non-partisan agency of the Parliament of Canada responsible for the conduct of federal elections, by-elections, and referendums. Elections Canada operates under the Canada Elections Act and is headed by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), who is appointed by a resolution of the House of Commons after consultation with all recognised parties. The current Chief Electoral Officer is Stéphane Perrault, appointed June 11, 2018. The CEO serves a single 10-year term and can be removed only on a joint address of both houses of Parliament for cause.

Elections Canada has five core functions. First, it administers elections, by-elections, and referendums, including registering candidates and parties, training poll workers, distributing voting materials, and counting votes. Second, it maintains the National Register of Electors, a permanent voter list updated from various federal and provincial databases (about 27 million registered electors as of 2025). Third, it monitors compliance with the Canada Elections Act through the Commissioner of Canada Elections (a separate but related officer who investigates and prosecutes violations). Fourth, it educates Canadians about the electoral process. Fifth, it advises Parliament on electoral reform.

Elections Canada is structured to be independent from political interference. The Chief Electoral Officer reports directly to the Speaker of the House of Commons, not to the government. Elections Canada staff cannot belong to any political party while in office. The agency has no policy-setting role in electoral matters; it implements the Canada Elections Act as passed by Parliament. The Commissioner of Canada Elections (currently Caroline J. Simard, appointed January 13, 2022) investigates complaints about election-law violations and may lay charges through a separate director of public prosecutions.

Elections Canada has implemented several major innovations. The permanent voter list (the National Register of Electors) replaced door-to-door enumeration in 1997. Voter Identification requirements were added by Bill C-31 in 2007. Electronic vote-counting machines have been used in some federal elections (though paper-ballot manual counting remains the default). The Vote on Campus programme provides advance voting at post-secondary institutions. The Indigenous and Northern Communities Programme provides additional outreach in remote Indigenous communities. The 2023 Bill C-65 amendments expanded the use of mail-in ballots and protected election workers from intimidation.