Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Elections Canada 2025 - 2026
As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Elections Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department or agency’s mandate and the government’s priorities.
Mandate:
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, commonly known as Elections Canada, is an independent, non-partisan agency that reports directly to Parliament. Its mandate is to:
• be prepared to conduct a federal general election, by-election or referendum
• administer the political financing provisions of the Canada Elections Act
• monitor compliance with electoral legislation
• conduct public information campaigns on voter registration, voting and becoming a candidate
• conduct education programs for students on the electoral process
• provide support to the independent commissions in charge of adjusting the boundaries of federal electoral districts following each decennial census
• carry out studies on alternative voting methods and, with the approval of parliamentarians, test alternative voting processes for future use during electoral events
• provide assistance and co-operation in electoral matters to electoral agencies in other countries or to international organizations
A summary description of the agency's programs can be found in the 2025-26 Departmental Results Report.
Elections Canada Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2026
Expenditure category |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2026 ($ thousands) |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2025 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Operational activities |
$5,164.00 |
$899.00 |
$4,265.00 |
Key stakeholders |
$148.00 |
$141.00 |
$7.00 |
Internal governance |
$3.00 |
$13.00 |
-$10.00 |
Training |
$23.00 |
$43.00 |
-$20.00 |
Other |
$4.00 |
$0.00 |
$4.00 |
| A. Total travel | $5,342.00 |
$1,096.00 |
$4,246.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $96.00 |
$633.00 |
-$537.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $22.00 |
$61.00 |
-$39.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $5,460.00 |
$1,790.00 |
$3,670.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $0.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Compared with fiscal year 2024-25, expenditures for travel, hospitality and conferences increased by $3,670 thousands. This net increase is mainly due to the travel expenses incurred by thousands of election workers and electoral administrators to conduct the 45th general election held on April 28, 2025 in the 343 electoral districts across the country. This increase was partially offset by lower hospitality expenses in 2025–26 compared with 2024–25, when regional meetings with electoral administrators were held.