Empowering Canadians to Have Their Say About Our Democracy

Ottawa, December 5, 2016 – The Government of Canada wants to hear from as many Canadians as possible in a national conversation about electoral reform. Today, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Democratic Institutions, unveiled MyDemocracy.ca an interactive and engaging digital platform that will help Canadians explore the values and principles they share when it comes to strengthening our democracy – including how we vote, mandatory voting, and online voting.

MyDemocracy.ca’s goal is to empower Canadians to take part in the national conversation currently taking place about electoral reform in an innovative and informative way. This online engagement application will complement the excellent work of the House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform and Minister Monsef’s cross-country electoral reform tour.

Canadians will be asked to complete a series of questions exploring how they feel about their democracy. Users who complete the questions will receive detailed feedback about how their democratic values compare to those of other Canadians. Results can be shared on social media and users can follow how the conversation unfolds as more Canadians participate.

An invitation to join the conversation through MyDemocracy.ca will be arriving in the mail to every Canadian household beginning today. Canadians can have their say through MyDemocracy.ca until December 30, 2016.

Launching MyDemocracy.ca is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to consult broadly with Canadians about electoral reform. The results from MyDemocracy.ca will be considered along with other sources as the Government decides its next steps for electoral reform such as the Special Committee on Electoral Reform’s report and Minister Monsef’s cross-country electoral reform tour.

Quotes

“A healthy democracy requires that governments listen to citizens in order to make better decisions. Through MyDemocracy.ca, we are empowering Canadians to have their say and help us strengthen our democracy.”
- Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Democratic Institutions

Quick Facts

• MyDemocracy.ca is an initiative developed by a team of social and statistical scientists from Vox Pop Labs in collaboration with the Government of Canada.
• MyDemocracy.ca questions were reviewed by Vox Pop Labs’ academic advisory panel.
• The government has taken steps to ensure Canadians without internet access and people who may require accommodation can participate.
• The government will make the final report from Vox Pop Labs public in the coming months.
• MyDemocracy.ca contains educational resources about Canada’s democratic institutions and how they function and why, as well as links to documents central to Canada’s democracy such as the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• Information provided by Canadians will be administered according to the strict requirements of the Privacy Act as well as Government of Canada policies.

Related Product

• Backgrounder – MyDemocracy.ca

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Contact

For more information (media only), please contact:
John O’Leary
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Democratic Institutions
613-943-2044

Media Relations:
Media Relations
Privy Council Office
613-957-5420