Elections Canada

Raymond D. Cohen interviews Jean-Pierre Kingsley, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, about Elections Canada’s role in the upcoming election.

RC: Perhaps you could start by telling us a little about Elections Canada.

JPK: I am sure that most of your readers already know that Elections Canada is responsible for the conduct of federal elections and referendums.

What is perhaps less widely known but no less important is that we are a non-partisan agency directly accountable to the federal parliament. Our independence from the political parties is very important in maintaining absolute fairness and achieving objectivity.

RC: How do you define accessibility, and what has Elections Canada done to achieve it?

JPK: To us, accessibility means making voting as easy as possible for all electors. This means scrutinizing our procedures and removing barriers.

Over the years, we have welcomed changes such as Bill C-78, that have recognized our initiatives in the area of accessibility and integrated them into the law. This has enabled us to be more flexible, while still safeguarding the security and confidentiality of the vote. For example, we now have mobile polls to allow electors in hospitals and other institutions to vote. We can accommodate more special requirements in terms of interpretation for people who have difficulty understanding the procedures or reading the ballot, whether because of visual, learning, language or other disabilities. We have made level access a prerequisite for polling stations. Electors can vote in advance if they know that they will be outside their riding on polling day -- even if they are outside the country. The list goes on.

RC: So all polling stations are wheelchair accessible now?

JPK: Insofar as possible, yes, though there may be a few cases where a suitable location is simply not available and the existing sites cannot be modified. The card that each elector will receive to confirm his or her registration on the Voters List will indicate whether the polling station is wheelchair accessible. Electors who require level access and whose polling station is not accessible can arrange for a transfer certificate to vote at another location by calling the returning officer in their riding as early as possible. All advance polls and Elections Canada offices will be accessible.

RC: What’s special about the new "special ballot"?

JPK: We call it the "special ballot" because it is different from the ballot used at the polls. Because it is used by groups of people from different electoral districts in various parts of Canada, it cannot be pre-printed with the names of candidates. Instead, voters must write in the name of the candidate for whom they wish to vote. Its major advantage is that it allows voting by mail -- for the first time at the federal level. It can also be used to vote in person at the office of the returning officer. Confidentiality is maintained and tampering prevented by its unique system of envelopes.

Its advantages are obvious for people in all sorts of circumstances: people who are away from their electoral district; people who are ill but will not be visited by a mobile poll; people with disabilities that make getting out to any polling station very difficult; and so on. It will make voting much more accessible to voters with many different kinds of needs.

RC: Will people with disabilities be encouraged to vote by special ballot? If so, will that mean Elections Canada will no longer require that polling stations be wheelchair accessible?

JPK: Anyone who can’t vote in the regular fashion is welcome to use the special ballot, but it is only one option. The vast majority of Canadians will continue to vote at regular polling stations on polling day, and we will continue to insist on level access for these locations. In fact, it’s now a legal requirement.

RC: Can people choose which method they will use?

JPK: Each voting method is intended to meet a specific need, and of course electors who require special services are welcome to use them. At the same time, elections are strictly regulated to ensure fairness and confidentiality, so there are procedures that must be followed. People who want to know more should watch for Elections Canada posters, brochures and public announcements. Our information is available in several formats: print, large print, Braille, audio-and videocassette, and scrolling on the Parliamentary Channel.

I suggest that all eligible electors watch for their personalized information card. It will tell them where and when they can vote (and whether or not their polling station is wheelchair accessible). It will also list the phone numbers (voice and TDD/ TTY) of the Elections Canada representative for their riding.

RC: What is this card exactly, and how do we get one?

JPK: If the election is held before October 25 of this year, voters in most of Canada will not be enumerated. Those already registered for the 1992 referendum will be sent a Federal Voters List Revision Card. Anyone who does not receive a card, or who receives one with incorrect information, should contact the Elections Canada office in his or her riding as soon as possible to get correctly registered.

In Quebec, the referendum was a provincial responsibility and no current federal list exists. Therefore, an enumeration will be carried out in that province no matter when the election is held. Enumerators will leave behind an Elector Information Card, which will provide the pertinent information. If the enumerators have been unable to obtain the information they need after two visits, they will leave a mail-in registration card that will enable electors to register by mail.

All Canadians 18 years of age or older must make sure they are correctly registered -- otherwise they will be unable to vote.

RC: What about people who need assistance with their ballots?

JPK: No problem. Information can be read out by staff at the polling station; special templates can be provided for electors who are blind; a family member or friend can be taken into the voting compartment to help if the voter so requests; a sign-language interpreter can come along to assist electors who are deaf or hard of hearing. Elections Canada staff are available to help in any way they can. And don’t worry -- the secrecy of the vote is protected at all times. Anyone helping with the voting procedure must first take an oath.

RC: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

JPK: I would only add that everyone at Elections Canada is working hard to make voting accessible. As part of our ongoing consultations with the public, we invite your comments. Let us know what is helpful to you and how we could improve our service. We welcome any and all suggestions.

(Elections Canada can be reached toll-free at 1-800-267-VOTE (8683). Voters who are deaf or hard of hearing are invited to call the TDD/TTY number: 1-800-361-8935. Or write to: Special Needs, Elections Canada, 1595 Telesat Court, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0M6.)