Detailed Findings - Survey of Election Officers for the 44^th Federal General Election

3. Experience Working at the Polls

This section presents findings related to poll workers' experiences working at their polling station.

Satisfaction is strong and widespread among poll workers

Nine in 10 (90%) surveyed poll workers expressed satisfaction with the way the last federal election went, including 53% who were very satisfied. In 2021, the level of satisfaction with the way the last federal election went is unchanged from 2019, when 90% of poll workers also expressed satisfaction.

Higher proportions of poll workers in the Atlantic provinces (94%) and Saskatchewan (94%) reported being satisfied with the way the last federal election went, compared to Quebec (89%) and Ontario (88%). Satisfaction is higher and stronger among information officers and central poll supervisors than among deputy returning officers: specifically, 92% of information officers and central poll supervisors said they were satisfied, including 62% of information officers who were very satisfied with the way the last federal election went. In contrast, 88% of deputy returning officers were satisfied overall, including 49% who were very satisfied. Satisfaction levels were higher among those who worked at mobile polls (92%) or those who worked on election day at an ordinary poll (91%) than among officers who worked at advance polls (83%).

Poll workers between the ages of 16 and 24 (94%) were the most likely to report being satisfied with the way the last federal election went compared with other age groups (results range from 87% to 91%).

Large majority say the voting process went smoothly at their polling station

Ninety-four percent (94%) of the poll staff surveyed agreed strongly (63%) or somewhat (30%) that the voting process at their polling location went smoothly. Very few (6%) said the voting process did not go smoothly at their polling station.

Poll workers in the Atlantic region (78%), followed by Manitoba (70%), were more likely to strongly agree that the voting process went smoothly at their polling station compared with Alberta (60%), Ontario (60%) and BC (59%). Those who worked in a First Nations community (77%) were more likely to strongly agree that the voting process went smoothly than those who worked at a seniors' residence or long-term care facility or in other communities (63% respectively). Central poll supervisors (68%) were more likely to strongly agree that the voting process went smoothly at their polling station than deputy returning officers (62%) and registration officers (61%).

Majority say the poll workers at their polling place worked well together; few note problems

More than 9 in 10 poll workers (94%) agreed that poll workers in their polling place worked well together, including three-quarters (74%) who strongly agreed. In addition, most disagreed that there were problems setting up (76%) or closing (72%) the polling station or issues with accessibility for employees (87%).

One in five poll workers found instructions for opening and closing the polling station unclear

Poll workers who agreed there were difficulties opening and/or closing the polling station (n=1,218) were asked to identify the types of difficulties they encountered. One in five (21%) said that instructions were not clear, followed closely by 20% who said there were issues with supervisors/staff. Following this, 16% each said there was not enough assistance from colleagues; there were problems with vote counting; or there was too much paperwork / the process was too lengthy / there was not enough time / they felt rushed. The full range of responses is depicted in Figure 20.

The proportion of poll workers who said the instructions for closing the poll were not clear has decreased significantly since 2019: 33% said closing did not go well due to unclear instructions in 2019, compared to 21% in 2021 (a decrease of 12 percentage points).

Two-thirds of poll workers found accessibility issues with the venue itself

Poll workers who agreed there were issues with accessibility for some employees (n=176) were asked to identify the types of accessibility issues. Nearly two-thirds (64%) said they found accessibility issues with the polling place venue. Following this, 17% found accessibility issues caused by supervisors/staff not being available to provide assistance, 15% found a need for better accommodations for people with a disability, and 9% found working conditions to be an accessibility issue. Almost no one (1%) found accessibility issues with the personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by poll workers as part of COVID-19 health and safety measures.

Included within venue-related accessibility issues were 17% who identified the venue as too small or having halls that were too narrow, 15% who said the venue had broken or missing ramps/elevators/chair lifts, and 11% who said venue exits/entrances were too small or too close together. The full range of responses is depicted in Figure 22.

There are no noteworthy subgroup differences to report.

Majority say the building where they worked was suitable for holding an election

Almost 9 in 10 (87%) poll staff said that the building where they worked was suitable for holding an election. This is a decrease of four percentage points compared with 2019 but a return to the level obtained in 2015.

• Poll workers in Alberta (92%), British Columbia (91%), and the Atlantic region (90%) compared with those in Ontario (85%) or Quebec (86%).
• Deputy returning officers (90%) compared with central poll supervisors (86%) or information officers (83%).
• Election officers working in First Nations communities (96%) and at regular polls (87%), compared with those working at a seniors' residence or long-term care facility (82%).

Those who said the building where they worked was not suitable pointed to room size or poor facilities in general

Forty-four percent (44%) of election officers who thought the building was not suitable explained that the room where they worked was too small, while one-quarter (26%) said the building had poor facilities (e.g., washrooms, break areas, etc.). Nearly 2 in 10 (18%) reported that the building made it difficult to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Additionally, 16% cited issues with the building's entrance or exit, 15% said it was not accessible for people with disabilities, and 14% said it had a poor layout / setup was ineffective. The full range of responses is depicted in Figure 24.

Consistent with 2019, the size of the rooms remains the most common complaint regarding the buildings. In 2019, among those who said the building where they worked was not suitable for holding an election, 35% said that there was not enough room (compared to 44% in 2021). In 2021, a need for larger polling places able to accommodate physical distancing due to the pandemic may have further contributed to the frequency of this complaint. Additionally, there is minor fluctuation in the proportion of poll workers who said the building was not accessible for people with disabilities; specifically, in 2019, 20% said the building was not accessible for people with disabilities compared to 15% in 2021.

More than four in five say the process of registering electors was easy

Eighty-six percent (86%) of central poll supervisors, deputy returning officers, and registration officers said it was easy to register electors, with 53% saying it was very easy. Perceptions of the ease of registering electors have declined slightly since 2019, when 90% of central poll supervisors, deputy returning officers, and registration officers said it was easy. Most notably, the proportion of these officers saying it was very easy to register electors has decreased significantly, from 63% in 2019 to 53% in 2021.

Four in five DROs say they did not need help processing voters

In previous federal elections, each deputy returning officer worked alongside a poll clerk to process voters throughout the day. In the 2021 election, each DRO worked on their own as a health and safety measure.

Eight in 10 (80%) deputy returning officers (n=1,676) agreed to some degree that it was easy to process voters without needing support from their colleagues, including half (52%) who strongly agreed and 3 in 10 (28%) who somewhat agreed. In contrast, only 17% did not agree that it was easy to process voters without support.

Deputy returning officers who worked on polling day (83%) were more likely than those who worked at a mobile poll (76%) or at an advance poll (66%) to agree that it was easy to process voters without support from colleagues.

Deputy returning officers from British Columbia (84%), Alberta (83%), and Quebec (83%) were more likely to agree that it was easy to process voters without support from their colleagues than those from Ontario (76%).

Half of CPSs had to support DROs with processing voters

More than half (57%) of central poll supervisors (n=740) agreed to some degree that they had to support deputy returning officers as they processed voters, with one-quarter (24%) strongly agreeing. Conversely, 43% said they disagreed to some degree that they had to support deputy returning officers as they processed voters, with 22% strongly disagreeing.

Central poll supervisors in Ontario (29%), followed by those in Quebec (27%), were more likely than those in Saskatchewan (10%) or Manitoba (14%) to strongly agree that they had to support deputy returning officers. Additionally, central poll supervisors who worked at an advance poll (34%) were significantly more likely than those who worked at a mobile poll (18%) or at an ordinary polling place on polling day (20%) to strongly agree that they had to support deputy returning officers as they processed voters.

Nearly all said the vote-by-mail drop box was safe and secure, as well as accessible to all electors during entire voting hours

In order to facilitate the return of special ballots before the close of polls, in 2021 Elections Canada introduced drop boxes designated to receive special ballots at election day polling places as an alternative to returning them by mail.

Among election day poll workers who said they were involved in managing a vote-by-mail drop box (n=978), the vast majority (98%) said that the drop box was safe and secure during the entire voting hours. Additionally, a similar proportion (96%) said the drop box was accessible to all electors during the entire voting hours.

There are no noteworthy subgroup differences to report.

Poll staff said the flow of electors at the polls went smoothly

Ninety-three percent (93%) of poll staff said the flow of electors at the polls went smoothly; 6 in 10 (61%) said the flow went very smoothly, while 3 in 10 (31%) said it went somewhat smoothly. Satisfaction with the flow of electors is similar to previous election years; specifically, 94% said the flow of electors went smoothly in 2008, 95% in 2011, 93% in 2015, and 95% in 2019, compared to 93% in 2021.

Poll workers in the Atlantic region (72%), followed by Quebec (66%) were among those most likely to say that the flow of electors went very smoothly at the polls during their working hours.

Poll workers working in polling stations in First Nations communities (74%) were more likely than officers working at seniors' residences or long-term care facilities (59%) or at regular stations (61%) to say the flow of electors went very smoothly during working hours.

The likelihood of saying that the flow of electors went very smoothly generally increased with age, from 52% of poll staff between the ages of 16 and 24 to 65% of staff 55 to 64, 65% of staff 65 to 74, and 72% of staff aged 75 and older.

Over one-third of those who said the flow of electors went poorly said it was due to long lineups and wait times

Poll staff who said the flow of electors at the polls went poorly (n=252) were asked to identify the reason(s) why. Over one-third (37%) said it was due to long lineups and wait times. Other reasons poll staff said the flow of electors went poorly include disorganization or confusion (35%), too many voters/crowds (27%), the need for more staff/help (25%), not enough space (20%), staff being unprepared (13%), and having an unpredictable flow of electors (11%). The full range of responses is depicted in Figure 30.

Long lineups and wait times remain the most common reason offered by poll staff to explain why the flow of electors was not smooth. The proportion pointing to lineups and wait times is unchanged since 2019: 37% in 2019, compared to 37% in 2021. Disorganization and confusion also remain among the top reasons offered; however, the proportion attributing problems to this has increased significantly since 2019: 27% in 2019, compared to 35% in 2021.

The sample size is too small to allow discussion of differences between subgroups.

Nearly three in five rarely if ever witnessed individuals asking to vote when not on the list of electors

Poll staff were asked if they witnessed individuals asking to vote who were not on the list of electors and were unable to be registered at the polling place for whatever reason. Nearly three in five (56%) said they never or rarely saw this occur; specifically, 13% said they never saw this and 43% said they rarely did. Approximately one-third (32%) said they sometimes saw individuals asking to vote who were not on the list of electors and unable to register at the polling station. Only 11% said they saw this occur often or very often.

There are no noteworthy subgroup differences to report.

Very few noticed any issues with candidates' representatives performing their duties

Nine in 10 (91%) poll workers did not notice any issues with candidates' representatives performing their duties. The proportion of poll workers who witnessed issues with candidates' representatives performing their duties—6%—is unchanged since 2019, when 5% noted such issues (in 2015, 6% noted issues with candidates' representatives).

Poll workers in Manitoba (9%), Ontario (8%), British Columbia (8%), and Alberta (7%) were more likely to say they noticed issues with candidates' representatives performing their duties than poll workers in the Atlantic region (3%) and Quebec (2%). Central poll supervisors (9%) were also more likely to say they noticed issues with candidates' representatives performing their duties as compared to all other staffing positions (results range from 4% to 6%).

Candidates' representatives being inconsiderate, ill-mannered or inattentive was the biggest issue reported

Poll staff who said they noticed issues with candidates' representatives performing their duties (n=227) were asked the nature of these issues. Approximately one-third (32%) noticed candidates' representatives being inconsiderate, ill-mannered or inattentive. Following this, one-quarter (24%) found candidates' representatives to be unprepared or not knowledgeable about how to do the job and 19% witnessed these representatives interfering with the voting process. The full range of responses is depicted in Figure 33.

The most commonly reported problem with candidates' representatives performing their duties has changed from 2019, when interfering with the voting process was the most cited issue: 27% reported this in 2019 compared to 19% in 2021.

Large majority of officers felt prepared to provide services to electors with disabilities

More than 8 in 10 (84%; down from 91% in 2019 and 92% in 2015 ) poll staff said that the training they received prepared them somewhat or very well to provide services to electors with disabilities. The proportion of poll workers who said they were somewhat well prepared to provide services to electors with disabilities is virtually unchanged since 2019, but fewer staff characterized themselves as very well prepared in 2021 (51%) compared to 2019 (58%). However, the proportion of poll workers who said they were not well prepared did not increase; rather, those who said they did not provide services to electors with disabilities had increased since 2019 (1% reported this in 2019 compared to 6% in 2021).

Poll staff in Manitoba (91%) were more likely than staff in Quebec (83%) to view themselves as somewhat or very well prepared to provide services to electors with disabilities. Central poll supervisors (62%) were more likely to say they were very well prepared to provide such services compared to registration officers (54%). There were no noteworthy differences within polling stations.

As the age of poll staff increased, so did the likelihood of officials feeling that the training prepared them very well to provide services to electors with disabilities (from 39% of those aged 16 to 24 up to 67% of those aged 75 and older).

The majority said the tools and services for electors with disabilities were suitable

The majority of poll staff surveyed (85% compared to 90% in 2019 and 91% in 2015) said the tools and services for electors with disabilities at their polling places were suitable.

Relatively few noticed electors with disabilities having difficulty completing their ballot

Fewer than one in five (15%) poll staff had noticed electors with disabilities having difficulty completing their ballots; the majority (80%) had not. The rest (5%) did not know whether electors with disabilities had difficulties completing their ballots.

Poll workers in Ontario (17%) were more likely than those in Quebec (13%) and the Atlantic region (12%) to have noticed electors with disabilities having difficulty completing their ballot. Those who worked on polling day (13%) were less likely than those who worked at advance polls (20%) and mobile polls (24%) to say they noticed electors with disabilities having difficulty completing their ballot. Poll staff working at polling stations at seniors' residences or long-term care facilities (33%) were more likely to notice electors with disabilities having difficulty compared with those working at polls in First Nations communities (13%) or other polling places (15%).

Poll staff rarely noticed electors with disabilities having difficulties completing their ballot

Poll staff who noticed electors with disabilities having difficulties completing their ballot (n=649) were asked how often they noticed this. Fifty-seven percent (57%) said they rarely noticed electors with disabilities having difficulties completing their ballots, while 34% said that this happened sometimes.

Poll workers in Manitoba (78%) and Atlantic Canada (71%) were more likely to rarely notice electors with disabilities having difficulty completing their ballot. Poll workers working at polling stations at seniors' residences or long-term care facilities (29%) were more likely to often or very often notice electors with disabilities having difficulty completing their ballot compared with those working in First Nations communities (6%) or at other polling places (8%).

Six in 10 were able to provide services to electors in Canada's official languages

Six in 10 (61%) poll staff did not encounter any difficulties providing services to electors in either official language. Three percent (3%; unchanged from 3% in 2019) did experience difficulties providing services to electors in English or French. Additionally, just over one-third (36%) said they did not provide services to any electors speaking English in Quebec or French in provinces outside of Quebec.

There were no significant differences between groups regarding difficulties encountered in providing services to electors in either official language. However, poll workers in Quebec (68%) were less likely to say they did not have to provide services to electors in both languages (28%) than any other province (results range from 34% to 44%).

Not being able to speak other official language / not bilingual was the most-cited difficulty

Of those who had difficulties serving electors in either official language (n=95), over half (56%) said they had difficulties because they don't know how to speak the other language / are not bilingual. Following this at a much smaller proportion was having limited vocabulary (17%). The full range of responses is depicted in Figure 39 below.

The sample size is too small to allow discussion of differences between subgroups.

Half always or often greeted electors with "Hi/Bonjour" or "Bonjour/Hi"

Half of poll workers (52%) said they either always or often greeted electors with "Hi/Bonjour" or "Bonjour/Hi" as a way of offering service in both official languages, including 36% who said they always did this. Nearly one-quarter (23%) of poll workers said they never greeted electors with "Hi/Bonjour" or "Bonjour/Hi."

Poll workers from Quebec (37%) were more likely to say they never greeted electors with an offer of service in both official languages, compared with poll workers in other provinces (results range from 16% to 26%). Conversely, central poll supervisors (45%) were more likely to say they always greeted electors with an offer of service in both official languages, compared with information officers (38%), deputy returning officers (33%), and registration officers (31%).

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