Voter turnout in Canada
Encyclopedia
Voter turnout
is the percentage of eligible voters
who cast a ballot
in an election
. The following presents voter turnout figures for Canada's general elections as compiled by Elections Canada
.
When low turnout is a reflection of disenchantment or indifference, the election may not be an accurate reflection of the will of the people
. Low turnouts can lead to unequal representation among various parts of the population. In developed countries, non-voters tend to be concentrated in particular demographic and socioeconomic groups, especially the young
and the poor
.
*2011 results preliminary and population projected (Source: Elections Canada, Statistics Canada)
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
is the percentage of eligible voters
Voting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
who cast a ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
in an election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
. The following presents voter turnout figures for Canada's general elections as compiled by Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
.
- The medianMedianIn probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the numerical value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to...
voter turnout for Canada's general elections since 1867 has been 70.3%. - The averageAverageIn mathematics, an average, or central tendency of a data set is a measure of the "middle" value of the data set. Average is one form of central tendency. Not all central tendencies should be considered definitions of average....
voter turnout for Canada's general elections since 1867 has been 70.7% - The highest voter turnouts were in 1958, 1962, and 1963, when voter turnout was over 79%.
- The lowest voter turnout on record was in 2008Canadian federal election, 2008The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, when voter turnout fell to only 58.8%. - Voter turnout in the most recent election, at 61.4%, was the third lowest in Canadian history.
When low turnout is a reflection of disenchantment or indifference, the election may not be an accurate reflection of the will of the people
Popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the political principle that the legitimacy of the state is created and sustained by the will or consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. It is closely associated with Republicanism and the social contract...
. Low turnouts can lead to unequal representation among various parts of the population. In developed countries, non-voters tend to be concentrated in particular demographic and socioeconomic groups, especially the young
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
and the poor
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
.
Voter turnout in Canada's general elections
Table - Voter turnout in Canada 1867-present| Date of election | Population | Number of electors on list | Total ballots cast | Voter turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1867-08-07 | 3,230,000 | 361,028 | 268,387 | 73.1% |
| 1872-07-20 | 3,689,000 | 426,974 | 318,329 | 70.3% |
| 1874-01-22 | 3,689,000 | 432,410 | 324,006 | 69.6% |
| 1878-09-17 | 3,689,000 | 715,279 | 534,029 | 69.1% |
| 1882-06-20 | 4,325,000 | 663,873 | 508,496 | 70.3% |
| 1887-02-22 | 4,325,000 | 948,222 | 724,517 | 70.1% |
| 1891-03-05 | 4,833,000 | 1,113,140 | 778,495 | 64.4% |
| 1896-06-23 | 4,833,000 | 1,358,328 | 912,992 | 62.9% |
| 1900-11-07 | 4,833,000 | 1,167,402 | 958,497 | 77.4% |
| 1904-11-03 | 5,371,000 | 1,385,440 | 1,036,878 | 71.6% |
| 1908-10-26 | 5,371,000 | 1,463,591 | 1,180,820 | 70.3% |
| 1911-09-21 | 7,204,527 | 1,820,742 | 1,314,953 | 70.2% |
| 1917-12-17 | 7,591,971 | 2,093,799 | 1,892,741 | 75.0% |
| 1921-12-06 | 8,760,211 | 4,435,310 | 3,139,306 | 67.7% |
| 1925-10-29 | 8,776,352 | 4,608,636 | 3,168,412 | 66.4% |
| 1926-09-14 | 8,887,952 | 4,665,381 | 3,273,062 | 67.7% |
| 1930-07-28 | 8,887,952 | 5,153,971 | 3,922,481 | 73.5% |
| 1935-10-14 | 10,367,063 | 5,918,207 | 4,452,675 | 74.2% |
| 1940-03-26 | 10,429,169 | 6,588,888 | 4,672,531 | 69.9% |
| 1945-06-11 | 11,494,627 | 6,952,445 | 5,305,193 | 75.3% |
| 1949-06-27 | 11,823,649 | 7,893,629 | 5,903,572 | 73.8% |
| 1953-08-10 | 14,003,704 | 8,401,691 | 5,701,963 | 67.5% |
| 1957-06-10 | 16,073,970 | 8,902,125 | 6,680,690 | 74.1% |
| 1958-03-31 | 16,073,970 | 9,131,200 | 7,357,139 | 79.4% |
| 1962-06-18 | 18,238,247 | 9,700,325 | 7,772,656 | 79.0% |
| 1963-04-08 | 18,238,247 | 9,910,757 | 7,958,636 | 79.2% |
| 1965-11-08 | 18,238,247 | 10,274,904 | 7,796,728 | 74.8% |
| 1968-06-25 | 20,014,880 | 10,860,888 | 8,217,916 | 75.7% |
| 1972-10-30 | 21,568,311 | 13,000,778 | 9,974,661 | 76.7% |
| 1974-07-08 | 21,568,311 | 13,620,353 | 9,671,002 | 71.0% |
| 1979-05-22 | 22,992,604 | 15,233,653 | 11,541,000 | 75.7% |
| 1980-02-18 | 22,992,604 | 15,890,416 | 11,015,514 | 69.3% |
| 1984-09-04 | 24,343,181 | 16,774,941 | 12,638,424 | 75.3% |
| 1988-11-21 | 25,309,331 | 17,639,001 | 13,281,191 | 75.3% |
| 1993-10-25 | 27,296,859 | 19,906,796 | 13,863,135 | 69.6% |
| 1997-06-02 | 27,296,859 | 19,663,478 | 13,174,698 | 67.0% |
| 2000-11-27 | 28,846,761 | 21,243,473 | 12,997,185 | 61.3% |
| 2004-06-28 | 30,007,094 | 22,466,621 | 13,683,570 | 60.9% |
| 2006-01-23 | 30,007,094 | 23,054,615 | 14,908,703 | 64.7% |
| 2008-10-14 | 31,612,897 | 23,677,639 | 13,929,093 | 58.8% |
| 2011-05-02 | 34,440,380 | 23,971,740 | 14,720,580 | 61.4% |
*2011 results preliminary and population projected (Source: Elections Canada, Statistics Canada)
See also
- List of Canadian federal general elections
- Canadian federal election, 2008Canadian federal election, 2008The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
- Elections in CanadaElections in CanadaCanada holds elections for several levels of government: nationally , provincially and territorially, and municipally. Elections are also held for self governing First Nations and for many other public and private organizations including corporations and trade unions...
- Elections CanadaElections CanadaElections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
- Canadian electoral systemCanadian electoral systemThe Canadian electoral system is based on a parliamentary system of government, modelled on that of the United Kingdom.The Canadian federal Parliament consists of:*The sovereign...
- Federal political financing in CanadaFederal political financing in CanadaThe fair and transparent financing of political parties, candidates, and election campaigns is a key determinant in the health and proper functioning of a democracy...
- Voter turnoutVoter turnoutVoter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
- Voter suppressionVoter suppressionVoter suppression is a strategy to influence the outcome of an election by discouraging or preventing people from exercising their right to vote. It is distinguished from political campaigning in that campaigning attempts to change likely voting behavior by changing the opinions of potential voters...
- Occupy CanadaOccupy CanadaOccupy Canada are a collective of peaceful protests and demonstrations that are part of the larger Occupy Together movement which first manifested in the financial district of New York City with Occupy Wall Street, and subsequently spread to over 900 cities around the world.- The larger movement...
External links
- Voter Turnout in the 2008 Canadian Election - Voter Turnout in Historical Perspective Simon Fraser University
- Voter Turnout in Canada MapleLeafWeb.com
- Voter turnout CBC.ca
- Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums, 1867-2008 Elections Canada
- Elections Canada website for young voters
- Lead Now leadnow.ca
- Apathy Is Boring apathyisboring.com
- Student Vote studentvote.ca
- We're #11. How embarrassing. May 01, 2011
- Canada election: High turnout in early voting, BBC News, April 27, 2011
- Middle East protests inspiring Canadians to vote May 1, 2011
- Low voter turnout Monday helps deliver Conservatives' coveted majority May 3, 2011