March 10, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Improve the Voters List, Level the Playing Field and Plan for
the Future: Top Recommendations from Chief Electoral Officer
In his report on the 2014 general election, Chief Electoral Officer, Greg Essensa, urges the
government to take immediate action on his top three recommendations to improve Ontarios
electoral process:

Establish a single address authority to help improve the accuracy of the voters list.
Level the playing field by strengthening the regulations on third party advertising.
Plan for the future by creating consistent standards to evaluate the integration of
technologies into the electoral process.

Establish a single address authority to help improve the accuracy of the voters list
According to a study conducted by Ipsos-Reid after the 2014 general election, 77% of Ontarios
eligible electors received a correct notice of registration card. The notice of registration card is
what tells electors where and when they can go to vote. It is a strong indication of the accuracy
of the voters list.
Municipalities across Ontario each establish their own residential addresses; Canada Post
maintains a list of mailing addresses; and, 911 also has its own addressing system. In rural areas
there are significant discrepancies between these addressing systems. Without a central
addressing authority there is no way for Elections Ontario to resolve these discrepancies. This
means that Elections Ontario has difficulty contacting some electors in rural areas to inform
them of where and when they can go to vote.
Elections Ontario has done as much as we can under the current system to maintain the
accuracy of the voters list, says Chief Electoral Officer, Greg Essensa, but we need
transformative change to addressing in order to make the improvements necessary for rural
areas. Elections Ontario needs the government to implement a single address authority.
Level the playing field by strengthening the regulations on third party advertising
Unlike political parties and candidates there are no contribution or spending limits on political
advertising during an election by third parties in Ontario Essensa says. Over the last three
elections, since 2007, when we began tracking spending by third parties we have seen

continued escalation in spending. By 2014 spending by third parties had increased by over 400
per cent for a total of $8.4million. This lack of regulation is creating an uneven playing field that
can potentially influence electoral outcomes.
Ontario is the only jurisdiction in Canada that regulates third parties, but does not regulate
their spending on political advertising. In the jurisdictions that do regulate third party spending,
the spending limits for third parties are lower than those for political parties, candidates and
constituency associations. Failing to fix this policy gap jeopardizes the fairness and
transparency of Ontarios electoral process.
Plan for the future by creating consistent standards to evaluate the integration of
technologies into the electoral process
The 2014 general election was the most successful electoral event Elections Ontario has
administered by any measure remarked Essensa. But, this must not lead to complacency
about our electoral process. Ontarians expect that electoral agencies will employ technological
solutions to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and increase the integrity of the electoral
process.
Other jurisdictions and levels of government have already begun implementing technology in
their voting process, although not in a consistent and coordinated manner. The ad hoc
approach to integrating technology in the voting process has led to some challenges.
The provincial electoral process needs to come into the 21st century without compromising its
integrity. To do that, the Chief Electoral Office recommends establishing standards for the
integration of technology into the voting process.
Read more in our report on the 2014 general election
These recommendations can be found along with other key recommendations in the Chief
Electoral Officers Post-Event Report about Ontarios June 2014 General Election.
The full report and additional recommendations for legislative change can be found here:
http://bit.ly/1x8U1XT3

Elections Ontario is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering provincial elections,
by-elections and referenda.
Elections Ontario Media Relations:
416.212.6186 / 1.866.252.2152
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