Justin Tang/CP The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa is shown on Aug. 2, 2015

OTTAWA — If Canadians hear from a high-level panel monitoring electoral interference during the campaign period, it will only be because of “exceptional circumstances.” That’s what reporters were told during a briefing Tuesday about what to expect under the government’s Critical Election Incident Public Protocol, a panel of five senior civil servants responsible for assessing threats after the election is called. A public announcement would only be made as a “last resort” because too many of them would be “in itself a disruption to the election,” said a government official who cannot be named because the briefing was not for attribution. They added the panel operates on consensus, so unanimity needs to be reached before any statement is made public. “If there is no agreement, there is no announcement.” WATCH: Facebook explains new rules for posting election ads in Canada

The panel includes the clerk of the Privy Council, the prime minister’s national security and intelligence advisor, and the deputy ministers of justice, public safety, and foreign affairs. Panel members have been meeting irregularly in Ottawa to run through simulated emergency situations. The practice scenarios have included mock incidents of blackmail against political candidates, cyberhacking, and the spread of disinformation campaigns that involve manipulated videos known as “deepfakes.” Blueprints of the plan were unveiled earlier this year amid international concerns about foreign actors interfering in democratic elections. An “extraordinary” incident comparable to campaign emails leaked days before the French presidential election would trigger the protocol, officials said. But officials said domestic interference campaigns could also draw the attention of the panel if they’re secretive and involve criminal acts.