The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (french: Directeur général des élections du Canada) is the person responsible for the administration of elections,

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

s and other aspects of the

electoral system An electoral system or voting system is a set of rules that determine how elections and Referendum, referendums are conducted and how their results are determined. Electoral systems are used in politics to elect governments, while non-political ...

in Canada. The position was established in 1920 under the

Dominion Elections Act The ''Dominion Elections Act'' was a bill passed by the House of Commons of Canada in 1920, under Robert Borden's Unionist Party (Canada), Unionist government. The Act allowed white women to run for the Parliament of Canada. However, women from ...

to be the chief executive of the independent agency now known as

Elections Canada Elections Canada (french: Élections Canada)The agency operates and brands itself as Elections Canada, its legal title is Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (). is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering Canadian federal electio ...

. The chief electoral officer is assisted in carrying out their mandate by the assistant chief electoral officer and the broadcasting arbitrator who ensures that the provisions of the Canada Elections Act and the

Canada Referendum Act Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by total ...

are carried out, and the Commissioner of Canada Elections who enforces the act. Stéphane Perrault was appointed chief electoral officer for Elections Canada on June 8, 2018, after having served as acting chief electoral officer from December 2016 to June 2018. Perrault is scheduled to hold this position for a 10-year term.

List of Chief Electoral Officers of Canada

Oliver Mowat Biggar Oliver Mowat Biggar, (October 11, 1876 – September 4, 1948) was a Canadian lawyer and civil servant. He was the second judge advocate general for the Canadian Militia and the first chief electoral officer of Canada. He also served as the firs ...

(1920–1927) * Jules Castonguay (1927–1949) *

Nelson Jules Castonguay Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

(1949–1966) *

Jean-Marc Hamel Jean-Marc Hamel, (born February 19, 1925) is a Canadian government official. He was the Chief Electoral Officer from 1966 to 1990. Born in Lotbinière, Quebec, he received a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1948 and a Master of Commerce degree in ...

(1966–1990) *

Jean-Pierre Kingsley Jean-Pierre Kingsley (born July 12, 1943) is a Canadian civil servant and businessman who served as the president and CEO of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). He was the chief electoral officer of Elections Canada befor ...

(1990–2007) *

Marc Mayrand Marc Mayrand is a Canadian public servant who served as the sixth chief electoral officer of Canada from 2007 to 2016, where he oversaw Elections Canada. Career Mayrand studied law at the University of Ottawa and the London School of Economics ...

(2007–2016) * Stéphane Perrault Acting (2016-2018) (2018-)

References

External links

Elections Canada On-Line - Chief Electoral Officer of Canada
{{Officers of Parliament in Canada Officers of the Parliament of Canada