Federal election expected to cost $570M, chief electoral officer says

Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault responds to a question during a news conference in Ottawa on Monday, March 24, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA -- The head of Elections Canada predicts the federal election will cost taxpayers roughly $570 million -- “slightly less” than the last election in 2021.

Chief electoral officer Stephane Perrault says Elections Canada is looking to hire some 250,000 workers for the upcoming election, set for April 28.

The agency says it’s bringing back a program this year to set up polling stations on 119 campuses across Canada that account for roughly 60 per cent of the student population.

Elections Canada also says it’s tripling the number of polling stations in Indigenous communities compared to the previous federal election.

Measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic -- such as drop boxes where Canadians could file their votes by mail -- will not be in place for the upcoming vote.

The federal campaign launched on Sunday when Liberal Leader Mark Carney asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament, kicking off Canada’s 45th general election.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2025.

By Craig Lord, The Canadian Press