Will you vote on Monday?

While much attention is often paid to who is running for office and what they are promising to do once they get there, from my perspective, the most important part of this whole election (or any election for that matter) is who will vote.

Voter turnout in most western countries has steadily declined for years, except in Australia where registering to vote and going to the polls are legal duties for citizens aged 18 and over.  According to the Conference Board of Canada, “Canada ranks 14th out of 17 peer countries” with respect to voter turnout.  Only 61.1 per cent of adult Canadians voted in the last federal election— among the lowest electoral turnouts in more than 100 years.

A persistent trend within these numbers is that those who require effective political representation the most, generally participate in voting the least.

Young people, those living in poverty, Aboriginal Canadians, and people living with disabilities are just a few of the underrepresented voter groups. It is hard not to think about what impact that might have on public policy when our democratic system may not be reflecting the interests of all citizens.

Research also shows that there are lots of reasons why people choose not to vote.

Back in 2009, Elections Canada studied the issue and found that the most oft-cited reason for avoiding the ballot box amounted to “everyday situations”— being on holiday, being too busy, family obligations, or work schedules. At the time, 54 per cent of Canadians said they would vote if they could do so online.

Despite this finding, something interesting happened this past Thanksgiving – this busy, family-filled, holiday weekend.

According to the Globe and Mail, “Canadians stampeded to advance polls over the long weekend, exceeding turnout in the past election’s early voting window by 71 per cent.”  About 3.6 million people cast ballots between Friday and Monday – a fact that some are calling a “promising sign” compared to years past.

Getting out the vote.

On our way to October 19th, there are an abundance of groups and organizations playing a vital role in mobilizing and driving campaigns that share information on how to vote and why it's important – many of which have proven successful in increasing voter turnout particularly among those who have tended to be under represented in election decisions.

 ABC Life Literacy Canada has teamed up with Elections Canada, for example, to work with literacy clients to improve electoral engagement. The Assembly of First Nations  recently launched an online information and resources campaign aimed at increasing the number of Aboriginal Canadians who vote. Barrier-Free Canada has produced an Elections Action kit and Samara Canada challenges young people to take on apathy.

This is important, valuable work. But will it make a difference?

Experts caution that the high advance poll turnout may not be an indication of an increased turnout overall; and we won’t know for some time yet whether any of these efforts to get out the vote, particularly among the marginalized, will result in better attendance at the polls.

But I’m optimistic, and will be there to cast my ballot this October 19th.

Will You?