In this episode, Elizabeth talks to Mike Pal, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, about election laws in Canada. Elizabeth and Mike discuss the laws and institutions that govern elections in Canada, including the Canada Elections Act and Elections Canada.   They discuss threats to election integrity and security posed by new technologies in an age of democratic decline. Elizabeth and Mike also delve into the threat of foreign interference, voter privacy in big data elections, and a changing media environment prone to misinformation and disinformation. They close out by talking about artificial intelligence (AI), specifically its potential to transform our electoral landscape and how we should best prepare to ensure our laws and institutions continue to bolster public trust in our democracy. 

Additional Resources

• Throughout the episode, Mike and Elizabeth reference the Canada Elections Act to understand part of Canada’s legal regime around election integrity and security.
• Mike cites the American Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000) case as an example of the importance of election laws as a way for citizens to exercise their political rights. 
• Elizabeth discusses the need to begin mapping out the role of technology in election security laws in Canada,  including potential threats to elections and how election laws might then be updated or changed. For more information, consult: Election Integrity and Security.
• To listen to our episode on Foreign Interference at the Nomination Level, consult: Season 7 Episode 4 - Foreign Interference at the Nomination Level with Conner Coles.
• Mike mentions how there are privacy rules of various kinds, but political parties federally are an exception, to learn more consult: Guidance for federal political parties on protecting personal information.
• To  listen to episodes from our season on political influencers, consult: Season 6 of the Wonks and War Rooms podcast. 
• Elizabeth and Mike also reference the Elections Modernization Act to understand the importance of updating laws to protect election integrity and security. 
• Mike mentions the ‘Big Lie”; the idea of claiming without justification or without evidence that the electoral system is rigged on one side or the other.
  
  Contributors

Host: Elizabeth Dubois
Research Lead: Michelle Rodrigues
Transcript: Michelle Rodrigues 
Audio Editing: Ayman Naciri
Translation: Els Thant & Helena Legault
Publishing and Promotion: Helena Legault & Michelle Bartleman 
Producer: Michelle Hennessey

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.