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Survey of Electors Following the40th General Election


VI. Voter Information Services

A. Voter Information Card

The voter information card was, by a significant margin, the single greatest source of information pertaining to voting procedures for the 40th general election.

This was also the case in 2006, although the voter information card is cited somewhat less frequently for the 40th general election (61%) than it was for the 39th general election (66%).

B. Sources of Information

The voter information card remains the most important source of information for Canadians regarding voting procedures. However, the research suggests that media sources also played a somewhat larger role than in other years and this may reflect different information needs stemming from the new identification requirements.

Notably, Canadians are more likely to report having received information from the mass media including television (19% vs. 10% in the 39th general election), radio (12% vs. 4%) and newspapers (18% vs. 9%).

Common sources of mass media voting procedure information

Common sources of mass media voting procedure information

In addition, a wide range of other non-media sources are recalled on an unaided basis, as they were in 2006. These include friends and family (8%) and, new for this election, an Elections Canada brochure/householder (10%).

Demographically, lower income Canadians ($40,000 household income) are somewhat less likely to cite the voter information card (52%) as the source of their information regarding voting procedures, but do not appear to make greater use of any other source. Other demographic variables show little or no variation in information sources used. Regionally, Alberta residents (52%) are somewhat below average and Quebec residents the most likely (67%) to cite the voter information card.

Sources of information about voting procedures
All Canadians Youth Aboriginal Immigrant/
Visible
minorities
2006 2008 2006 2008 2006 2008 2008
% % % % % % %
Voter information card 66 61 46 43 37 34 55
Television 10 19 12 16 13 22 21
Newspapers 9 18 6 7 7 15 16
Friends/family/parents 7 8 21 25 8 13 10
Radio 4 12 4 8 8 11 10
Elections Canada householder/brochure 10 1 11 13
Mail (unspecified) 3 2 2 2 4 3 -
Pamphlets/brochures/posters 3 4 4 2 6 8 3
Internet/website 2 2 3 6 1 1 3
Familiar with voting process/know what to do from previous times 1 3 1 2 2 2 3
Elections Canada all sources 3 3 3 6 1 3 1
Political parties/candidates 1 1 1 1 1 1 3
Telephone (1‑800 number) 1 1 2 2   - 1
Same place as before/only one place to go 1 1 1 1 1 - -
Polling station 1 1 <1 2 3 2 1
School/teachers 1 <1 3 3 2 1 <1
Revising agents/enumerators <1 1 1 1 1 1 <1
Work/co-workers <1 <1 1 <1 2 1 1
None/did not intend to vote 2 5 7 6 8 7 4
Other 2 2 3 3 7 10 2
DK/NA 2 1 3 2 5 3 2

Among the various sub-populations surveyed, and quite consistent with the findings from the 39th general election, youth (43%) are substantially less likely to have received their information from the voter information card and are far more likely than the typical Canadian to have relied on family, parents and friends (25%) to receive their information about the 40th general election. Youth are also less likely to have relied upon newspapers and somewhat more likely to mention the Internet (6%) as a source of information.

Again similar to 2006, the voter information card is cited less often as a source by Aboriginal Canadians (34%) than it is by other Canadians. However, Aboriginal Canadians appeared to have made greater use during the 40th general election than they did during the 39th of mass media such as television (22% and 13%, respectively) and newspapers (15% and 7%). Immigrants and visible minorities cite virtually the same sources as the public overall.

C. Elections Canada Flyer

In order to provide information on the new identification requirements and other voting procedure information, Elections Canada sent a flyer to all Canadian households. This flyer is recalled by half the population, although many could not recall its contents. However, a significant minority did recall that it contained information about the change in identification requirements. During the course of the election, a few citizens contacted Elections Canada offices and almost all report that they were very satisfied with the service they received.

As noted in the previous section, 11 percent of Canadians recall receiving the brochure/flyer (folded in four) that Elections Canada mailed this year to households and which contained information about how to vote and the new identification requirements. Among those not initially mentioning the flyer, when prompted by asking if they recalled a flyer folded in four from Elections Canada a further quarter (24%) of Canadians recall the flyer. When further prompted with more information about the content of the flyer and a description of some of the visual elements used in the flyer, a further 13 percent among the public are able to recall it. In total, combined unaided and aided recall among Canadians overall is just under half (48%).

There are few demographic variations in overall, combined aided and unaided awareness of the flyer. The exception is those 18 to 34 years of age, among whom awareness is at 38 percent. Regionally, Albertans (42%) are the least likely to recall the flyer. No differences exist between urban and rural residents. The single largest difference in recall, though, is between those who report having voted and those who report that they did not (52% to 37%). As noted earlier, and as will be further reviewed later in the report, this is likely a factor of engagement and interest in the election and politics generally.

Among the sub-populations surveyed, youth (38%) are easily the least likely to recall the flyer. But possibly because their recall is so low there are no appreciable differences in recall between youth voters (39%) and non-voters (35%). The recall of the flyer among Aboriginal Canadians (48%) is in line with that of the public overall and awareness is the same in both rural and urban areas. Once again, Aboriginal voters are more aware of the flyer than are Aboriginal non-voters (55% versus 41%). Awareness of the flyer among immigrants and visible minorities (52%) is in line with the population overall and Aboriginal Canadians.

Unaided and aided recall of Elections Canada flyer
Total
2008
Youth Aboriginal Immigrant/
Visible
minorities
n = 2,500 500 500 500
% % % %
Total recall 48 (43)* 38 (34)* 48 (44)* 52 (47)*
Unaided 11 7 11 13
Aided 37 31 37 40
No description 24 18 25 28
Description provided 13 13 12 12
Yes 8 10 8 7
Maybe/vaguely 5 3 4 5

1. Recall of Information on the Flyer

While the flyer clearly got across some information, and close to four-in-ten (38%) among the public recall information about new identification requirements, the single largest groups of responses suggest that half (50%) of those recalling the flyer could not recall its contents. Other information gleaned from the flyer by Canadians include that it contained general information about voting (12%), the election date and times polling stations would be open (14%), and a reminder to vote (7%). Not unexpectedly, there are significant differences in what was recalled based on voting behaviour. Among voters 48 percent could recall nothing about the contents of the flyer compared with 58 percent among non-voters. Similarly, among voters 40 percent recalled that the flyer contained information about the new identification requirements, while 29 percent of non-voters recall this information. The implication here is that for many non-voters, non-voting behaviour is not just manifested on voting day, but throughout the campaign in terms of the attention paid to the campaign and information and material provided throughout the campaign.

Recall of information contained in the Elections Canada flyer
Total
2008
Youth Aboriginal Immigrant/
Visible
minorities
n = 1,201 189 242 260
% % % %
Need to bring identification/proof of residence/identity card 38 32 19 38
General information 12 15 16 10
Election/polling date/polling hours 14 10 11 15
Reminder/enticement to vote 7 7 10 10
Option to vote 1 - 1 1
Other 9 11 12 11
Don't know/nothing 50 52 50 47

Among the sub-populations surveyed, while youth are the least likely to recall the flyer, those that do recall it are nearly as likely as the public overall (32% and 38%, respectively) to recall that the flyer contained information about the new identification requirements. They are also in line with the public in terms of those recalling nothing about the flyer (52%). Aboriginal Canadians are less likely to recall the identification requirements (19%), but do recall a range of other details and are no more likely than others to recall no details of the flyer (50%). Immigrants and visible minorities, in all respects, closely resemble the public overall in their responses.

D. Contact with Elections Canada

A very small number of Canadians (4%) report contacting Elections Canada during the 40th general election. This represents a small decline from the 39th general election, during which nearly one-in-ten (8%) reported that they contacted Elections Canada.

Those who contacted Elections Canada report a high level of service from this agency. Nearly eight-in-ten (78%) report having fully received the information and assistance they needed, while one-in-ten (10%) report partially receiving this information. These findings are consistent with the report conducted after the 39th general election. Further analysis, including regional and demographic variations, is not possible because of the small sample size.

Information satisfied needs
Total
2006
Total
2008
n = 228 113
% %
Yes, fully 79 78
Yes, partially 11 10
No 8 12
DK/NA/Ref 1 -