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Public Opinion Survey Following the March 19th, 2012 By-election in Toronto–Danforth (Ontario)

VOTER PARTICIPATION

This section presents respondent feedback on issues related to voter participation.

Most Voted on Election Day at Polling Station

The large majority (80%) of respondents who said they voted in the by-election reported having voted at a polling station on election day. Another 17% reported having used advance polls, and 2% claimed to have voted at a local Elections Canada office.

These results are identical to those of the 2011 federal general election.

Method Used to Vote
Text description of "Method Used to Vote"

Sociodemographic differences

The following sub-groups were more likely to have voted at the polling station on election day: college-educated respondents (90%), electors under 25 years (93%), and students (96%).

Close to Half Knew It was Possible to Vote by Mail

Slightly more than four in ten (44%) knew that it was possible to vote by mail at any time during a federal election. The majority (55%) did not.

Awareness of the option to vote by mail was virtually identical to that reported in the last general election (43%).

Awareness of Option to Vote by Mail
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Sociodemographic differences

The likelihood of knowing that it is possible to vote by mail was higher among students (59%).

Voting Considered Easy

Very few voters found the process of casting a vote to be difficult. Instead, almost everyone said that casting their vote was very (89%) or somewhat (9%) easy. Still, 3% felt that voting was not easy. Overall, these percentages are similar to the result from the 2011 general election, when most voters said that casting their vote had been a very (92%) or somewhat (7%) easy process.

Ease of Casting a Vote
Text description of "Ease of Casting Vote"

Sociodemographic differences

Students (82%), electors with a college education (81%) and those with household incomes of under $40,000 (80%) were less likely to feel that it was very easy to cast their vote.