Elections Modernization Act (S.C. 2018, c. 31)
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Assented to 2018-12-13
2000, c. 9Canada Elections Act (continued)
74 Subparagraph 111(f)(ii) of the Act is replaced by the following:
(ii) for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of this Act or the Referendum Act.
75 The heading before section 112 of the Act is replaced by the following:
List of Election Officers
76 Subsection 112(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:List of election officers to candidates
112 (1) A returning officer shall, at least three days before polling day, post in his or her office, and make available to each candidate or candidate’s representative, a list of the names of all the election officers appointed to act in the electoral district who are assigned to a polling station, along with the polling station to which each officer is assigned.
77 Section 113 of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Delivery to returning officers
113 The Chief Electoral Officer, at any time before the issue of the writ or immediately after the issue of it, shall deliver to the returning officer sufficient quantities of election materials and the necessary instructions for the election officers to exercise their powers and perform their duties.
78 Subsection 114(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Material of ballot box
(2) Each ballot box shall be of the size and shape and made of the material determined by the Chief Electoral Officer and be constructed to allow seals for the use of the returning officers and other election officers to be affixed.
79 Subsection 116(6) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Nom de l’imprimeur et affidavit
(6) Les bulletins de vote doivent porter le nom de l’imprimeur qui doit, lorsqu’il les livre au directeur du scrutin, lui remettre un affidavit, selon le formulaire prescrit, précisant leur description, le nombre qu’il lui livre et le fait qu’il s’est conformé au paragraphe (5).
80 (1) Subsection 117(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Information on the ballot
117 (1) Ballots shall contain the names of candidates referred to in subparagraph 66(1)(a)(i) or (i.1), as the case may be, and taken from their nomination papers, arranged alphabetically.
Marginal note:2001, c. 21, s. 12
(2) Paragraph 117(2)(b) of the Act is replaced by the following:
(b) the information referred to in subsection 68(3) was provided in respect of the candidate in accordance with that subsection; and
Marginal note:2001, c. 21, s. 12
(3) Subsection 117(3) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Mention « indépendant(e) »
(3) Le bulletin de vote porte la mention « indépendant(e) » sous le nom du candidat qui l’a demandé conformément au sous-alinéa 66(1)a)(v), et seulement dans ce cas.
(4) Subsection 117(5) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Mention de l’adresse ou de la profession
(5) Dans les cas où au moins deux candidats ont le même nom et ont indiqué leur intention d’être désignés par la mention « indépendant(e) » ou de n’avoir aucune désignation de parti dans le cadre du sous-alinéa 66(1)a)(v), les bulletins de vote mentionnent l’adresse ou la profession de ces candidats s’ils en font la demande par écrit au directeur du scrutin avant 17 h le jour de clôture.
81 The heading before section 119 of the Act is replaced by the following:
Provision of Election Materials to Election Officers
82 (1) The portion of subsection 119(1) of the Act before paragraph (c) is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Materials to be provided to election officers
119 (1) Before voting begins, each returning officer shall provide, in accordance with the Chief Electoral Officer’s instructions, the election officers who are assigned to a polling station in the returning officer’s electoral district with
(a) enough ballots for at least the number of electors on the official list of electors for the polling station;
(b) a statement showing the number of ballots that are provided, with their serial numbers;
(2) Paragraph 119(1)(f) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
f) la liste électorale officielle à utiliser au bureau de scrutin, qu’il place si possible dans l’urne avec les bulletins de vote et autres accessoires;
(3) Subsection 119(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Safekeeping of election materials
(2) Until the opening of the poll, the election officers are responsible for all election materials in their possession and shall take every precaution to ensure the safekeeping of those materials and to prevent any person from having unlawful access to them.
83 Section 120 of the Act and the heading before it are replaced by the following:
Polling Stations
Marginal note:Establishment of polling stations
120 Each returning officer shall, for polling day, establish polling stations and assign each polling division to a polling station.
84 Subsections 121(1) to (3) of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Accessibility
121 (1) A polling station shall be in premises that are accessible to electors with a disability.
Marginal note:Exception
(2) If a returning officer is unable to secure suitable premises for a polling station that are accessible to electors with a disability, the returning officer may, with the prior approval of the Chief Electoral Officer, establish the polling station in premises that are not accessible to such electors.
Marginal note:Voting compartments
(3) Each polling station shall contain a sufficient number of voting compartments arranged so that each elector is screened from observation and may, without interference or interruption, mark their ballot.
85 Subsections 122(1) and (2) of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Polling station in school or other public building
(2) Whenever possible, a returning officer shall establish a polling station in a school or other suitable public building.
Marginal note:2014, c. 12, s. 42
86 Sections 123 and 124 of the Act are repealed.
Marginal note:2014, c. 12, s. 43
87 Section 125.1 of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Information — location of polling stations
125.1 (1) The returning officer for an electoral district and the Chief Electoral Officer shall make the addresses of all of the polling stations in the electoral district available to, respectively, each candidate in the electoral district and each political party that has endorsed a candidate in the electoral district. That information shall be made available on the later of the 24th day before polling day and the day on which the candidate’s nomination is confirmed, along with maps of the electoral district indicating the boundaries of each polling division and the location of each polling station.
Marginal note:Notification of change — on or before 5th day before polling day
(2) If, on or before the 5th day before polling day, there is a change in the address of any polling station in the electoral district, the returning officer and the Chief Electoral Officer shall without delay make that information available to the candidates and the political parties respectively, along with maps of the electoral district indicating the new location of the polling station.
Marginal note:Electoral district maps — electronic format
(2.1) The maps that the Chief Electoral Officer is to make available to political parties under subsections (1) and (2) shall be made available in electronic form or in formats that include electronic form.
Marginal note:Notification of change — after 5th day before polling day
(3) If, after the 5th day before polling day, there is a change in the address of any polling station in the electoral district, the returning officer and the Chief Electoral Officer shall without delay make that information available to the candidates and the political parties respectively.
88 (1) Paragraphs 135(1)(a) and (b) of the Act are replaced by the following:
(a) any field liaison officer;
(b) the returning officer, his or her representatives and any member of his or her staff whom he or she authorizes to be present;
(b.1) any election officer whom the returning officer authorizes to be present;
Marginal note:2014, c. 12, s. 44(1)
(2) Paragraphs 135(1)(g) and (h) of the Act are replacing by the following:
(h) if a polling division of an electoral district in which a registered party’s leader is a candidate is assigned to the polling station, any media representative who — subject to any conditions that the Chief Electoral Officer considers necessary to protect the integrity of the vote and the privacy of any person present at the polling station — is authorized in writing by the Chief Electoral Officer to be present and take any photograph or make any audio or video recording of the candidates as they cast their votes; and
(i) the auditor referred to in section 164.1.
Marginal note:2014, c. 12, s. 44(2)
(3) Subsections 135(2) to (5) of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Delivery of representative’s authorization
(2) When a representative of a candidate is admitted to a polling station, the representative shall deliver his or her written authorization from the candidate or the candidate’s official agent in the prescribed form, or a copy of it, to an election officer who is assigned to the polling station.
Marginal note:Representative authorized in writing
(3) A representative bearing a written authorization referred to in subsection (2), or a copy of one, is a representative of the candidate for the purposes of this Act and is entitled to represent the candidate to the exclusion of any elector who might otherwise claim the right to represent the candidate.
Marginal note:Solemn declaration
(4) Each representative of a candidate or each elector described in paragraph (1)(d), on being admitted to the polling station, shall make a solemn declaration in the prescribed form.
Marginal note:Solemn declaration
(5) A candidate’s representative who is appointed to more than one polling station shall, before being admitted to the first polling station, make a solemn declaration in the prescribed form before an election officer who is assigned to that polling station. The representative is not required to make another solemn declaration on being admitted to any other polling station in the same electoral district if he or she presents a document, in the prescribed form, proving that he or she has already made the solemn declaration.
89 Subsection 136(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Representatives may absent themselves from poll
(2) A representative of a candidate, or an elector described in paragraph 135(1)(d), may leave a polling station at any time and return at any time before the counting of the votes begins and is not required to produce a new written authorization from the candidate or official agent, or a copy of one, or to make another solemn declaration.
90 (1) Subsection 138(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Initialling ballots
138 (1) Before a polling station opens on polling day, and in full view of the candidates or their representatives who are present at the polling station, an election officer who is assigned to the polling station shall initial the back of every ballot in the space indicated in Form 3 of Schedule 1, entirely in ink or entirely in black pencil so that when the ballot is folded the initials can be seen. The initials shall be as similar as possible on each ballot.
(2) Subsections 138(2) and (3) of the French version of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Interdiction de défaire le carnet
(2) Le fonctionnaire électoral appose son paraphe sans détacher le bulletin de vote du carnet.
Marginal note:Cas de manque de temps
(3) L’apposition du paraphe ne peut avoir pour effet de retarder l’ouverture du scrutin; s’il n’a pas paraphé tous les bulletins de vote à l’heure d’ouverture, le fonctionnaire électoral le fait dans les meilleurs délais, avant de remettre les bulletins aux électeurs.
91 The portion of section 140 of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Examining and sealing ballot box
140 When the polling station opens, an election officer who is assigned to the polling station shall, in full view of the candidates or their representatives who are present, open the ballot box and ascertain that it is empty, and shall
92 Sections 141 and 142 of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Calling electors
141 Immediately after the ballot box is sealed, an election officer who is assigned to the polling station shall call on the electors to vote.
Marginal note:Electors not to be impeded
142 An election officer who is assigned to the polling station shall ensure that every elector is admitted into the polling station and that the electors are not disturbed when they are in or near the polling station.
Marginal note:2007, c. 21, s. 21
93 (1) Subsection 143(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Elector to give name and address
143 (1) Each elector, in order to receive a ballot, shall give his or her name and address to an election officer who is assigned to the polling station, and, on request, to a candidate or a candidate’s representative.
Marginal note:2014, c. 12, s. 46(1)
(2) The portion of subsection 143(2) of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Proof of identity and residence
(2) If the election officer determines that the elector’s name and address appear on the list of electors or that the elector is allowed to vote under section 146, 147, 148 or 149, then, subject to subsection (3), the elector shall provide the election officer with the following proof of his or her identity and residence:
Marginal note:2007, c. 21, s. 21
(3) Paragraph 143(2)(a) of the English version of the Act is replaced by the following:
(a) one piece of identification issued by a Canadian government, whether federal, provincial or local, or an agency of such a government, that contains a photograph of the elector and his or her name and address; or
Marginal note:2014, c. 12, s. 46(3)
(4) Subsection 143(2.1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Authorized types of identification
(2.1) The Chief Electoral Officer may authorize types of identification for the purposes of paragraph (2)(b). For greater certainty, any document may be authorized, regardless of who issued it.
Marginal note:2014, c. 12, s. 46(4)
(5) Subsection 143(3) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Solemn declaration
(3) An elector may instead prove his or her identity and residence by making the solemn declaration referred to in subsection 549.1(1) in writing if he or she is accompanied by another elector whose name appears on the list of electors for the same polling station and who
(a) provides the election officer referred to in subsection (1) with the piece or pieces of identification referred to in paragraph (2)(a) or (b), respectively; and
(b) vouches for the elector by making the solemn declaration referred to in subsection 549.1(2) in writing.
Marginal note:Vouching for electors in long-term care institution
(3.01) If an elector who resides in an institution for seniors or persons with a disability wishes to prove his or her identity and residence under subsection (3), the other elector referred to in that subsection who accompanies him or her may be an employee of the institution who resides — despite that subsection — in any polling division in the elector’s electoral district or an adjacent electoral district.
Marginal note:Definition of employee
(3.02) In subsection (3.01), employee includes an owner of the institution and any person who occupies a management position at the institution.
Marginal note:2007, c. 37, s. 1
(6) Subsection 143(3.2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Request to make solemn declaration
(3.2) Despite subsection (3.1), if the election officer referred to in subsection (1), a candidate or a candidate’s representative has reasonable doubts concerning the residence of an elector referred to in subsection (3.1), the officer, candidate or representative may request that the elector make the solemn declaration referred to in subsection 549.1(1) in writing, in which case the elector’s residence is deemed to have been proven only if he or she makes that solemn declaration.
Marginal note:2007, c. 21, s. 21; 2014, c. 12, s. 46(6)
(7) Subsections 143(4) to (6) of the Act are replaced by the following:
Marginal note:Voting
(4) If the election officer is satisfied that an elector’s identity and residence have been proven in accordance with subsection (2), (3), (3.1) or (3.2), the elector’s name shall be crossed off the list and, subject to section 144, the elector shall be immediately allowed to vote.
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