Canada Elections Act

Marginal note:Duty to maintain order

• 479 (1) Every returning officer is responsible for maintaining order in his or her office during voting in accordance with Division 4 of Part 11.

• Marginal note:Duty to maintain order

  (2) Every election officer is responsible for maintaining order during voting hours at any place where voting takes place in accordance with Part 9 or 10.

• Marginal note:Order to leave

  (3) In performing his or her duty under subsection (1) or (2), an election officer may order a person to leave the returning officer’s office or other place where the vote is taking place if the person is committing — or the officer believes on reasonable grounds that the person has committed — in the office or place an offence under this Act, any other Act of Parliament or any regulation made under any other Act of Parliament that threatens the maintenance of order.

• Marginal note:Order must be obeyed

  (4) Every person in respect of whom an order is made to leave an office or place must obey it without delay.

• (5) [Repealed, 2018, c. 31, s. 320]

• (6) [Repealed, 2018, c. 31, s. 320]

• Marginal note:Removal of material

  (7) If a returning officer or other election officer believes on reasonable grounds that a person has contravened paragraph 166(1)(a) or (b), the officer may cause any material that they believe on reasonable grounds was used in contravention of that paragraph to be removed from, in the case of a returning officer, his or her office or, in the case of any other election officer, the polling station.

• Marginal note:Peace officer protection

  (8) Every election officer has, while exercising their powers or performing their duties under this section, all the protection that a peace officer has by law.