Ottawa, May 9th, 2007 – The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, today introduced in the House of Commons the Expanded Voting Opportunities Bill to amend the Canada Elections Act to add two additional advance polling days for national elections. In combination with the three existing advance polling days, the two additional voting days will provide Canadians with more opportunities to vote. The major objective of the bill is to increase voter participation.
One additional advance polling day will be added on Sunday, the 8th day before Election Day. A second advance polling day will be added on Sunday, the day before Election Day, and all polling stations that are used on Election Day will be open. This will maximize the opportunity for Canadians to vote at advance polls in their own neighbourhood.
"Canadians are increasingly making use of the opportunity and convenience of voting at advance polls," said Mr. Van Loan. "Many Canadians still find it difficult to get out and vote because of school, work or family commitments. Providing more opportunities to vote will help increase their participation in elections."
"We hope that families will bring their children with them when they go out to vote – helping them to appreciate from an early age the civic duty and opportunity to cast a vote, and to understand what it means to be a citizen in a free and democratic society."
Mr. Van Loan added: "Voter participation is fundamental to the health of our democratic institutions. It is important for the Government to do all it can to encourage citizens to participate in the democratic process.
For information, contact:
Office of the Leader of the Government
in the House of Commons
and Minister for Democratic Reforms
(613) 952-4930
BACKGROUNDER
Amendments to the Canada Elections Act (expanded voting opportunities)
Voter participation is fundamental to the health of our democracy and is an important element in maintaining public support for our democratic institutions. The Government is committed to facilitating the participation of Canadians in the electoral process and to ensuring that there are no impediments preventing Canadians from exercising their right to vote. This is particularly important in view of falling voter participation rates, which once consistently averaged about 75 per cent, but which have fallen in the past decade to levels between 60 and 65 per cent.
Provision of Advance Polling Days in the Canada Elections Act
Advance polling days provide additional opportunities to vote for Canadians who for whatever reason are not able to make it to the polls on election day, whether for work, family or other responsibilities. Pursuant to Part 10 of the Canada Elections Act (CEA), Canadians currently have access to three advance polling days on Friday, Saturday and Monday, the 10th, 9th and 7th days respectively before election day, between the hours of noon and 8 p.m. The number of polling stations open on advance polling days is considerably more limited than is the case on election day. At the 39th general election, advance polls were established in 2,767 polling locations across Canada, as compared to 14,917 ordinary polling locations used on general voting day.
In order to provide more voting opportunities for Canadians, the Government has introduced An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (expanded voting opportunities) and to make a consequential amendment to the Referendum Act that would add two additional advance polling days:
on Sunday, the 8th day before election day, creating a block of four consecutive voting days between the 10th day and the 7th day before the election; and
on Sunday, the day before general voting day.
All polling stations used for election day would be open on the additional advance polling day on the day prior to the election, thereby maximizing voting opportunities for Canadians at a time when interest in the election is peaking. The other advance polling days would continue to have a more limited number of polling stations.
History of Advance Polling
Advance polling appeared for the first time in 1920 with the passage of the Dominion Elections Act, which also consolidated Parliament's control of the federal franchise and created the office of the Chief Electoral Officer. In its first incarnation, advance voting privileges were extended only to specified groups of voters; commercial travellers, railway workers and sailors could vote during the three days (excluding Sundays) prior to an election. These groups were required to swear an affidavit that they could not vote on general election day.
Over time, the advance polling rules have been amended to make it increasingly more convenient for voters to vote in advance of general election day. In 1960, the Canada Elections Act was amended to extend the right to vote at an advance poll to anyone who could not vote on general voting day. In 1977, the Act was amended to drop the requirement for an affidavit.
Canadians are increasingly making use of advance polls to cast their vote. In 1997, a total of 704,336 electors cast advance votes, representing 3.6 per cent of registered electors. In the 2006 election, 1.5 million voters cast advance votes, representing 6.8 per cent of registered electors.
