Thinking about elections....
I never really thought that much about the mechanics of an election. Everything just happened, the way it should. Yes, I was a campaign manager in one, once, but I really only had to worry about one party in one riding, the financial regulations, and the administrative procedures around nomination... not counting running a campaign, which really has nothing to do with running an election.
This time, however, I am paying a bit more attention. And it has become abundantly clear that what an RO (returning officer) must do is far from easy. In fact, there's a long list of administrative and statutory requirements, many of which have no "give" in them with respect to deadlines.
Consider that the current election kicked off with the Governor General dissolving parliament on September 7, issuing a Writ of Election for October 14. The RO is only guaranteed 36 days for the entire conduct of the election up to the final polling day (though more has to be done after that day!)
The ROs (there's one for each riding must, in the words of Elections Canada, be available "all day, every day" from the issuing of the writ to some days after the polls close.
So, what does happen? A lot more than I can tell you, as I've never been an RO. I do know that they have only days to rent office space, set up an office, hire staff, and basically get everything up and running. They have to oversee the revision of the electoral lists, the notification of the voters, locate and secure space for polls, and provide information and support to the various candidates, in terms of documentation and services. They have to organize and run advance polls, mobile polls, and special balloting. They have to hire and arrange to train hundreds of poll clerks, information officers, revisors (not sure of the correct term) and DROs (Deputy Returning Officers). There are a few other positions "out in the field" at the polls, but I can't name them all off.
The Returning Office also needs IT staff, financial staff, trainers, etc., as well as an ARO (Assistant Returning Officer).
All this has to be done very quickly, as the advance polls will open no more than about 4 weeks after the Writ is dropped... but the parties (and individuals) have about 3 weeks for nominations, so the ballots cannot be printed until after three weeks, but must be drafted, proofed, approved, produced, shipped, and distributed in less than 4 weeks!
Then you are into the advanced polls... then the final revision of the electoral rolls, then the final poll...
All the while fighting fires, fixing problems, dealing with the candidates and their campaign staff, and meeting stringent schedules and reporting practices back to Elections Canada.
Whew! And then there is the counting of the ballots, the verification of the results, maintaining security and control over sites, ballots, etc., requesting a judicial recount if the results are too close, and finally, declaring a candidate elected, finishing the documentation, securing and delivering documentation and ballots to Elections Canada, paying all the suppliers and staff, decommissioning the office, and archiving the appropriate records.
Total elapsed time? About 40 18-hour days.... and I either glossed over or don't know about a lot of the work.
I'm glad it's not me.
This time, however, I am paying a bit more attention. And it has become abundantly clear that what an RO (returning officer) must do is far from easy. In fact, there's a long list of administrative and statutory requirements, many of which have no "give" in them with respect to deadlines.
Consider that the current election kicked off with the Governor General dissolving parliament on September 7, issuing a Writ of Election for October 14. The RO is only guaranteed 36 days for the entire conduct of the election up to the final polling day (though more has to be done after that day!)
The ROs (there's one for each riding must, in the words of Elections Canada, be available "all day, every day" from the issuing of the writ to some days after the polls close.
So, what does happen? A lot more than I can tell you, as I've never been an RO. I do know that they have only days to rent office space, set up an office, hire staff, and basically get everything up and running. They have to oversee the revision of the electoral lists, the notification of the voters, locate and secure space for polls, and provide information and support to the various candidates, in terms of documentation and services. They have to organize and run advance polls, mobile polls, and special balloting. They have to hire and arrange to train hundreds of poll clerks, information officers, revisors (not sure of the correct term) and DROs (Deputy Returning Officers). There are a few other positions "out in the field" at the polls, but I can't name them all off.
The Returning Office also needs IT staff, financial staff, trainers, etc., as well as an ARO (Assistant Returning Officer).
All this has to be done very quickly, as the advance polls will open no more than about 4 weeks after the Writ is dropped... but the parties (and individuals) have about 3 weeks for nominations, so the ballots cannot be printed until after three weeks, but must be drafted, proofed, approved, produced, shipped, and distributed in less than 4 weeks!
Then you are into the advanced polls... then the final revision of the electoral rolls, then the final poll...
All the while fighting fires, fixing problems, dealing with the candidates and their campaign staff, and meeting stringent schedules and reporting practices back to Elections Canada.
Whew! And then there is the counting of the ballots, the verification of the results, maintaining security and control over sites, ballots, etc., requesting a judicial recount if the results are too close, and finally, declaring a candidate elected, finishing the documentation, securing and delivering documentation and ballots to Elections Canada, paying all the suppliers and staff, decommissioning the office, and archiving the appropriate records.
Total elapsed time? About 40 18-hour days.... and I either glossed over or don't know about a lot of the work.
I'm glad it's not me.