Social 20

Isherwood

Canadianelection:What'sthebestwayto
increasevoterturnout?
Someplacesuseincentives,likeraffles,whileothersdoleoutconsequences,likefines
ByAleksandraSagan,CBCNewsPosted:Sep21,20155:00AMETLastUpdated:Sep21,20156:57AMET

IntherunuptotheCanadianelectiononOct.19,voterengagementadvocatesareonceagain
tryingtogetoutthevote.Thelasttimemorethan70percentofCanadiansvotedinafederal
electionwasin1992.(Reuters/CanadianPress)
Forthreeconsecutivefederalelectionsinthelate1950sandearly'60s,morethan79percentof
Canadianscastaballot.
Sincethen,electiondayparticipationrateshavebeendeclining.Thelasttimemorethan70per
centofCanadiansvotedwasin1992forthereferendumontheCharlottetownAccord,aseries
ofproposedamendmentstotheConstitution.
AswegearupforanotherfederalelectiononOct.19,voterengagementadvocatesin
Canadaareonceagaintryingtogetoutthevote.
Butlowvoterturnoutisn'tjustaCanadianproblem.Manynationsaroundtheworldare
grapplingwithhowtoenticepeopletocomeoutonelectionday.
Somecountriesoptforfunandfestiveapproaches,withcelebritypromotersandvacation
lotteries,whileotherstakeamoresombretack,imposingfinesorthreateningincarcerationfor
thosewhofailtovote.
Penaltiesfornonvoters
Politicalscientistssaythereareanumberofargumentsforwhymorevotersisagoodthing.
Forexample,itwouldgiveunderrepresenteddemographicsabetterchanceofbeingheard,
andforcepoliticalpartiestoappealtoabroaderswathofpeople.
Oneofthemorecontroversialmethodstoboostengagementiscompulsoryvoting.
AccordingtotheInternationalInstituteforDemocracyandElectoralAssistance(IDEA),12
countriesmandatevotingwithvaryinglevelsofenforcement.Inahandfulofcountries,suchas
Bolivia,votingiscompulsory,butit'snotenforced.
Somenationsdemandnonvotersofferalegitimatereasonorpayafine.InAustralia,non
votersfacearoughly$19Cdnfine.Insomeareas,peoplewhorefusetosettlethefinecanbe
jailed.
Somenationspenalizenonvotersthroughcivilrightsinfringementordisenfranchisement,like
withholdingsomesocialservicesfrompeoplewhodon'thaveproofofvoting.

Concertsandraffles
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-voter-turnout-1.3230342

Social 20

Isherwood

Asidefromcompulsoryvoting,therearesixmainwaystoincreasevoterturnout,says
JonPammett,whocoauthoreda2006reportforIDEAoninitiativesfromaroundtheworld.
Theyincludeinformationcampaignsthataddresshowtovote,advertisingcampaignsthat
focusonwhyit'simportantandgrassrootsmovementsthathomeinonaparticular
demographic,suchasyouthorspecificnationalities.
Somegovernmentsorgroupsimplementeducationalprogramming,likeCanada'sStudent
Vote.TheprogramrunsalongsideCanada'selectionsandallowsyouthbelowthelegalvoting
agetocastaballotinamockelection.In2011,nearly600,000studentsvotedandelecteda
minorityConservativegovernment.(Inreality,thecountrychoseamajorityConservative
government.)
Somevoterengagementcampaignsleveragethepowerofentertainerstorallyasenseof
democraticpride.
RocktheVote,anonpartisanorganizationfoundedinAmericain1990bypeopleinthemusic
industry,showcasescelebritiestoencourageyoungpeopletoregistertovote.Forthe2014
midtermelections,rapperLilJonsangTurnOutForWhatinavideowithcameosbystars
fromGlee,OrangeIstheNewBlackandGirls,explainingwhytheyvote.
In1998,duringSlovakia'sparliamentaryelections,anNGOcreatedasimilarinitiative,Rock
Volieb.Itfeaturedrockconcertsandavoterawarenessbustour.Theyearbeforetheelection,
firsttimevoterturnoutwasestimatedatabout50percent,accordingtotheIDEAreport.By
thetimeoftheelection,ithadrisento80percentbytheelection.
Iftheendgoalissimplytoenticevoterstoshowup,perhapsthemostlogicalmethodistorun
alottery,saysPammett.
It'sbeentriedafewtimesbefore.In1995,amunicipalityinNorwaygaveawaytravelvouchers
forasunnygetawayinexchangeforproofofavote.AccordingtotheIDEAreport,Bulgaria
heldalotteryduringits2005parliamentaryelectionsinwhichitraffledoffacar,aswellas
somesmallerprizes,includingcellphonesandcomputerequipment.
Whiletheseapproachescanbesuccessful,Pammettsaystheyare"kindoflookeddownon
oftenasnotbeingvery...proper."
Morevotersmaynotbeenough
DavidMoscrop,aPhDcandidateattheUniversityofBritishColumbia'spoliticalscience
program,isconcernedmandatoryvotingandotherengagementtacticsdon'tnecessarilycreate
moreinformedvoters.
"Attheendoftheday,whatwewantisn'tjustmoreturnout,"hesays."Wewantafair,more
representativeparliament,andwewantfair,morerepresentativepolicies."
He'sconcernedaboutwhetherciviceducationshouldcomebeforeattemptstogalvanizevoters.
"Dowewanttotrytoeducatecitizensandthengetthemtoturnout,ordowewantthemto
turnoutandthentrytoeducatethem,ordowewanttotrytodobothatthesametime?"

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-voter-turnout-1.3230342