Keeping Canada’s Election Free and Fair: Canada’s Coordinated Response to Threats to Elections (CRTE)

The protection and preservation of Canada’s democratic institutions and processes is one of the core responsibilities of the federal government. Key measures have been put in place to defend Canada’s elections against persistent and evolving threats that undermine Canadian democracy.

Canada’s Coordinated Response to Threats to Elections explained

To respond to threats, the Government of Canada has developed the Cabinet Directive on the Coordinated Response to Threats to Elections (CRTE). This directive replaces Canada’s Critical Election Incident Public Protocol (CEIPP) established as part of the government’s plan to safeguard the integrity of Canada’s elections. The modernized CRTE directive incorporates recommendations from the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions (PIFI), from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) and from the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA), as well as lessons learned from the 45th General Election.

The CRTE ensures a consistent response to incidents that threaten elections during the caretaker period. It prioritizes protecting the integrity of elections without interfering in Canada’s democratic debates and discussions.

Key features of the Coordinated Response to Threats to Elections

• Scope during elections: The CRTE only applies to incidents that occur when Parliament is dissolved (the “caretaker period”), including the federal general election period.
• Deliberations for a coordinated response by the Government of Canada: During the caretaker period, the Panel leads Canada’s coordinated response to incidents that threaten our free and fair elections.
• The responsibilities of the Panel include:
  • Ensuring all reasonable actions are considered under existing authorities
  • Coordinating departments and agencies
  • Assessing whether further action is required
• The Panel may recommend measures such as:
  • Informing affected individuals or groups
  • Engaging with social media platforms
  • Using diplomatic channels
  • Making public announcements
  These measures are intended to protect the integrity of elections and are not intended to limit lawful political debate or public discourse.
• Steps for notification: Information sharing is one of the tools that could be used to combat interference attempts. The CRTE includes steps for communicating in a clear, transparent, and impartial manner. These steps include:
  • notifying affected candidates, organizations, or elected officials
  • informing the Prime Minister and other party leaders (or their designates) before a public announcement, and notifying Canadians
• A public announcement by the Panel: The CRTE is only applied to incidents that could impact the fairness of an election. The Panel administering the CRTE uses careful judgement to determine the appropriate course of action, including whether to make a public announcement.
• Retrospective report: Following every federal election, the Panel publishes a retrospective report of the CRTE’s implementation, providing transparency and accountability.

Read the full Cabinet Directive on the Coordinated Response to Threats to Elections.

The Panel

The CRTE Panel oversees the coordinated Government response to election threats to protect elections while respecting Canadians’ right to free expression during campaigns. The Panel includes senior non-partisan government officials with expertise in national security, democracy, justice and foreign affairs, as well as one independent member from outside government.

The Panel includes:

• the Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet;
• the National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister;
• the Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General;
• the Deputy Minister of Public Safety;
• the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; and
• A member external to government.

The Panel’s decisions are informed by intelligence from Canada’s national security community, particularly the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force.

Key considerations for Panel decisions

During the caretaker period, the Panel will evaluate and address incidents that threaten Canada’s free and fair elections. In so doing, the Panel is responsible for assessing what actions the Government of Canada can take to safeguard against incidents, and ensuring those actions are considered and applied where appropriate.

Decisions are based on intelligence and information from different sources (security and intelligence agencies, political parties, civil society organizations, and researchers) and focus on protecting Canadians and maintaining trust in the electoral process.

Factors the Panel considers include:

• The extent to which the incident could affect Canadians’ ability to have a free and fair election.
• The potential for the incident(s) to undermine the credibility of the election.
• The degree of confidence officials have in the intelligence or information.

The threshold for a public announcement by the Panel is intentionally high. The Panel avoids drawing attention to events that could cause unnecessary concern or disruption but do not prevent Canadians from having a free and fair election. It also considers whether a public announcement could unintentionally influence the election or support malicious actors.

For more details, see the Key Considerations for Panel Decisions.

Preparing for an Election

Before an election, the Panel meets regularly to review threats and potential risks, and to prepare measures to safeguard elections.

During an election

During the caretaker period, the Panel:

• Works with the federal public service to carry out its duties, with departments and agencies meeting regularly to provide advice.
• Receives regular updates from national security agencies.
• Gathers input from external experts, including researchers and civil society groups.
• Consults with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on interference concerns, ensuring responsibilities are met.
• Provides political parties with guidance on reporting any interference during the election.
• Ensures government departments, agencies, and non-government organizations can report incidents they experience or observe during the election.

Informing Canadians

The Government of Canada recognizes the value of publicly disclosing incidents or threats to the integrity of elections, such as foreign information manipulation and interference, to raise citizen awareness, build citizen resilience, and maintain trust in electoral outcomes.

During the caretaker period:

• A statement is issued following the calling of an election, outlining how the government addresses threats during the campaign.
• The statement will also outline how the Government of Canada could communicate during the caretaker period to raise awareness of potential threats.
• If an incident with the potential to prevent a free and fair election occurs, the Panel may issue public announcements. High standards are applied to ensure communications are credible and non-partisan.

Post-Election reporting

After elections, the Panel produces a public report summarizing its activities and decisions. This ensures transparency and informs future efforts to improve election security and resilience.

Protecting our democracy

The CRTE supports the government’s broader goal of considering a wide range of tools at its disposal, including informing Canadians, to protect against foreign interference in our democratic processes, and upholding Canada’s democratic values.

For more information

• The Cabinet Directive on the Coordinated Response to Threats to Elections (CRTE)
• The Retrospective Report on the 45th General Election – Critical Election Incident Public Protocol
• Reports assessing the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol in 2020 and 2021