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Program directory · Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

Public Education and Information

Program code
BYI03 (CEO)
Core responsibility
Electoral Administration
In Departmental Plans
2022-23 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

The Public Education and Information program provides information to Canadians about federal elections, addresses barriers to voting, and strengthens and supports civic education programs across Canada. The program develops content on where, when, and ways to vote in federal elections, develops educational content on the electoral process, and partners with various organizations, teachers, and education professionals to ensure that the informational and educational content reaches target audiences in optimal ways.

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2022-23. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29Public Education and Information 2018-19: $19.3MPublic Education and Information 2019-20: $42.8MPublic Education and Information 2020-21: $19.1MPublic Education and Information 2021-22: $47.5MPublic Education and Information 2022-23: $18MPublic Education and Information 2023-24: $15.4MPublic Education and Information 2022-23: $18.5MPublic Education and Information 2023-24: $24.7MPublic Education and Information 2024-25: $26MPublic Education and Information 2025-26: $40.1MPublic Education and Information 2026-27: $24.4MPublic Education and Information 2027-28: $26.1MPublic Education and Information 2028-29: $27.1MPublic Education and InformationPublic Education and Information
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
Public Education and InformationEarlier program (name match, high confidence)2018-19 – 2023-24$129M
Public Education and InformationThis program2022-23 – 2028-29$69.1M

Significant changes in scope and budget

Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.

YearWhat changedSource
2022-23Appears to replace Public Education and InformationCanada Spends name match across plans (an inference)
2023-24Employees (FTEs) 151, against 105 in 2022-23 (+44%).FTEs (GC InfoBase)
2023-24Spending $24.7M, against $18.5M in 2022-23 (+34%).Actual spending (GC InfoBase)
2025-26Planned spending $40.1M, against $26M in 2024-25 (+54%).Latest Departmental Plan
2026-27Planned spending $24.4M, against $40.1M in 2025-26 (−39%).Latest Departmental Plan

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Historical: targets against results

No results reported yet.

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

Number of schools that register to participate in Student Vote.
Expected result: Canada has an inclusive, accessible, and reliable electoral process
7,5002026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 7,5002027—Planned
Percentage of electors who are satisfied with the information they received from Elections Canada on the voting process.
Expected result: Canada has an inclusive, accessible, and reliable electoral process
90%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 90%2027—Planned
Percentage of electors who identify Elections Canada as their first source of information about the voting process.
Expected result: Canada has an inclusive, accessible, and reliable electoral process
60%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 60%2027—Planned

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

No targets with a later due date.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2022-23: $17.3M2022-23: $18.5M2022-232023-24: $23.2M2023-24: $24.7M2023-242024-25: $24.4M2024-25: $26M2024-252025-26: $40.1M2025-262026-27: $24.4M2026-272027-28: $26.1M2027-282028-29: $27.1M2028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2022-23$17.3M$18.5M
2023-24$23.2M$24.7M
2024-25$24.4M$26M
2025-26$40.1M—
2026-27$24.4M—
2027-28$26.1M*—
2028-29$27.1M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2022-23: 1052022-23: 1052022-232023-24: 1092023-24: 1512023-242024-25: 1662024-25: 1652024-252025-26: 1482025-262026-27: 1502026-272027-28: 1582027-282028-29: 1602028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2022-23105105
2023-24109151
2024-25166165
2025-26148—
2026-27150—
2027-28158*—
2028-29160*—

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.