The website for Elections Canada provides all kinds of resources on federal electoral law and administration, historical data and reports on past elections and campaign financing, as well as employment opportunities for those interested to participate in the federal election process.
The Constitution of Canada requires that federal electoral districts be reviewed after each decennial (10-year) census to reflect changes and movements in Canada's population. It is led by independent commissions working separately in each province to establish electoral boundaries. Use the toolbar to learn about the redistribution process and review the work of each commission, including public input. The site includes a map-viewer to review the boundaries of districts in each province, and information on how to participate in the process.
The Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing or RCERPF, also known as the Lortie Commission, was established to investigate changes to Canadian election laws. It issued a 5 volume report, including Reforming Electoral Democracy: Final Report. Vol. 1. Ottawa: Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing. Accessible via Government of Canada.
The Special Committee on Electoral Reform was established to identify and conduct a study of viable alternate voting systems to replace the first-past-the-post system, as well as to examine mandatory voting and online voting. Click the main link to review the activities and input to the Special Committee, and read the final report here.
In 2024, the House of Commons voted on Motion M-86: Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform, calling on the federal government to establish a national citizens’ assembly on electoral reform. Put to a vote in parliament on Feb. 7, that motion failed, 220 to 102. Here is a short CBC News video explaining this and other recent efforts toward electoral reform, focussing especially on young voters. Those advocating for electoral reform have also focussed their efforts on a Charter Challenge, and on various provinces and territories, as explained in this short article.
Elections Ontario is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario responsible for the administration of provincial elections and referendums. Use the toolbar to access many resources including historical elections data and reports.
Elections Alberta is an independent, non-partisan office of the Legislative Assembly responsible for administering provincial elections, by-elections and referenda. They administer the Election Act and the provincial electoral process in this province. They are responsible for administering elections at the provincial level, and do not administer or monitor federal or municipal elections. Browse their education resources and statistics and research.
Elections BC administers provincial general elections, by-elections, recall petitions, initiative petitions, initiative votes, referenda and plebiscites, and oversees campaign financing and advertising rules at the local level.
See also: BC Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform
The mission of Elections Manitoba is to ensure the democratic rights of all Manitobans through the conduct of free and fair elections, by ensuring compliance with political financing laws and by enhancing public confidence in and awareness of the electoral process.
Elections New Brunswick’s mandate is to conduct free and fair elections for New Brunswickers, to facilitate compliance with electoral laws, and to advance public awareness of and confidence in the electoral process.
Elections Newfoundland & Labrador is the non-partisan agency in Newfoundland & Labrador, of the legislative assembly charged with running provincial elections.
Elections Nova Scotia is an independent, non-partisan agency that is responsible for the administration of the Elections Act. Its mandate is to conduct provincial general elections and by-elections; ensure compliance with provincial electoral law including the political financing regime; establish and maintain election-related information including the Nova Scotia Register of Electors; seek advice and conduct studies related to electoral processes; and, conduct electoral education processes. Elections Nova Scotia is also mandated to provide support to the independent boundaries commission charged with reviewing the boundaries of provincial electoral districts
See also: Commission on Effective Electoral Representation of Acadians and African Nova Scotians
Elections NWT is an independent, non-partisan public agency responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for the administration of territorial general elections, by-elections, and plebiscites in accordance with the Elections and Plebiscites Act. See more about NWT’s Consensus Government system.
Elections Nunavut administers territorial, municipal and District Education Authority (DEA) elections, as well as territorial and local plebiscites. Elections Nunavut is all the people that work to make an electoral event happen. They have a duty to follow the Nunavut Elections Act and the Plebiscites Act and be faithful to them.
See also: Report of the Nunavut Electoral Boundaries Commission
Elections PEI is an independent, non-partisan office of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island. Our mandate is to administer fair and impartial provincial general elections, provincial by-elections, plebiscites, referendums along with the Public School Board and the French Language School Board trustee elections. Elections PEI has also been contracted by Cornwall, Stratford, Summerside and Three Rivers to administer their municipal elections and by-elections.
See also: PEI Electoral System Referendum
Notre institution est neutre et indépendante. Elle a pour mission d'assurer l'intégrité, la transparence et la fiabilité des élections et de promouvoir les valeurs démocratiques québécoises. [Our institution is neutral and independent. Its mission is to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reliability of elections and to promote Québec's democratic values.]
Elections Saskatchewan is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly, created to plan, organize, deliver and regulate provincial electoral events for the people of Saskatchewan. We do not oversee elections at the municipal or federal level.
Elections Yukon is in charge of: territorial general, school council, and school board elections. Elections Yukon is a non-partisan independent office. It is one of several offices under the Legislative Assembly.
The City of Hamilton provides a wide range of resources and data on municipal electoral law and administration, and historical data and reports on past elections.
The City of Toronto’s Elections Office provides information including municipal elections educational resources, the election accessibility plan, the contribution rebate program, and information about the rules that govern election processes.
The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute in the United States. It focuses on reforming and defending that country’s systems of democracy and justice, upholding the rule of law and advancing reforms that will make American democracy work, for all.
CANADEM is an international not-for-profit NGO dedicated to advancing international peace and security through the rostering, rapid mobilization, and mission management of experts committed to International Service with the UN, other IGOs, NGOs, and governments. It is involved in Democracy Promotion & Election Observation and recruits Canadians to act as election observers in its missions.
The Carter Center’s Democracy Program works globally to support democratic elections and strengthen participatory democracy, consistent with human rights. The overarching objective is to enhance democratic governance and increase effective political participation for all, especially groups that have been historically disadvantaged or that face political, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers. This includes women, racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, youth, elderly people, and other marginalized groups.
IFES is a global, nonpartisan organization that collaborates with civil society, public institutions, and the private sector to build resilient democracies that deliver for everyone. As a global leader in the promotion and protection of democracy, it works in countries around the world offering technical assistance and applied research to help electoral bodies conduct credible elections.
International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide. IDEA undertakes its work through providing comparative knowledge resources and tools, influencing policy and politics, and support democratic reforms. This is done in electoral processes, constitution building processes, political participation and representation, democracy and development, gender in democracy, democracy assessments and addressing crosscutting issues on conflict, security, diversity and gender.
The IPU works for peace and co-operation among peoples and for the firm establishment of representative democracy. It seeks to foster contacts, co-ordination, and the exchange of experience among parliaments and parliamentarians of all countries. Use the toolbar to access data tools including regularly updated data for women in parliament.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) helps build and consolidate democratic institutions. It provides technical assistance and observes elections throughout its 57 participating States. It also supports States in advancing gender equality, as well as increasing the participation of women and youth in politics, strengthening parliaments, developing multiparty political landscapes, improving the integration of migrants and modernizing population-registration systems.