By Canadian Press

New laws not the ‘only tool’ to strengthen ballot integrity: elections chief

Feb 10, 2025 | 8:35 PM

OTTAWA — Chief electoral officer Stéphane Perrault acknowledges that proposed changes to bolster the integrity of the next national vote are unlikely to become law before Canadians head to the polls next.

But Perrault said legislative tweaks are not the “only tool in the box” to deal with foreign meddling and other threats.

In an interview, Perrault stressed the importance of making voters aware of the electoral safeguards already in place.

Elections Canada will have a variety of notices and videos about the voting process ready to help counter misinformation and outright falsehoods, he said.

“I think it’s important to inform all Canadians of the safeguards, including the secrecy of the vote, and we have developed some messaging around that in multiple languages,” he said.

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Preparing plenty of information about how the voting process works makes it easier to debunk mistruths during an election campaign, he said, because social media users can jump in and point others to the Elections Canada website.

“It’s sort of enabling people to have those conversations,” he said.

A general election is widely expected this spring, even if Parliament returns in March after the Liberals choose Justin Trudeau’s replacement as party leader.

The NDP has said repeatedly it will no longer support the Liberals on key parliamentary votes, opening the door to the Trudeau government’s defeat.

Perrault said the overall electoral system, while solid, benefits from periodic updates.

He has called for changes, including a ban on the misrepresentation of candidates and other key players in the electoral process through manipulation of their voices or images without consent.

That proposed amendment to the Canada Elections Act was among several measures Perrault put forward to address the use of deepfakes and other artificially created content meant to fool voters.

Late last year, he was hoping to persuade MPs to expand an electoral reform bill to include new elements. But the bill died on the order paper with the prorogation of Parliament last month.

The final report of a federal inquiry into foreign interference recently urged the government to enact several of Perrault’s recommendations on electoral integrity and political financing.

Perrault said in the interview that while legislative changes would be helpful, “I don’t think they’re the only tool in the box.”

And prohibiting behaviour is never a complete answer to a problem, he added. “The idea that, you know, an actor like Russia would stop because it’s illegal is probably a bit fanciful,” he said.

The federal inquiry, which held extensive public hearings last year, has helped foster awareness about the risks of misinformation, Perrault said.

“We’ve made some progress as a society.”

As the campaign approaches, he said, Elections Canada officials are aware of logistical and operational challenges, including the possibility of spring flooding and the “added layer of complexity” posed by concerns about misinformation and foreign meddling.

“The election never turns out exactly as you plan,” he said. “That’s the reality of elections.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2025.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press