Proposed amendments to the Canada Elections Act

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, introduced amendments to the Canada Elections Act (CEA) to enhance citizens’ participation and trust in Canada’s electoral process.

In Canada, the strength and resilience of our democracy is enhanced by a long tradition of regular evaluation and improvements to the Canada Elections Act (CEA). The CEA is the fundamental legislative framework that regulates Canada’s electoral process. It is independently administered by the Chief Electoral Officer and Elections Canada, with compliance and enforcement by the Commissioner of Canada Elections. The CEA is renowned for trailblazing political financing rules, strict spending limits, and robust reporting requirements intended to further transparency, fairness, and participation in Canada’s federal elections.

Recent experiences and lessons from the 2019 and 2021 general elections highlighted opportunities to further remove barriers to voting and encourage voter participation, protect personal information, and strengthen electoral safeguards. The amendments to the CEA would advance these key priorities, reinforcing trust in federal elections, its participants, and its results.

Encouraging participation in the electoral process

A broad suite of measures in the amendments would foster greater participation in federal elections. They include:

Since at least 2000, voting at advance polls has increased in every general election. In response, and to give voters more choice and flexibility, there would be two additional days of advance polls. This would give electors a total of seven days to vote in person going forward: six advance days and election day.