National Electors Study on the 43rd Canadian Federal General Election: Report on Policy and Civic Engagement Issues

Prepared for: Elections Canada

October 2020

Supplier name: Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. / Advanis

Contract number: 05005-18-0735

Contract value: $804,353.60 (incl. applicable sales tax)

Award date: April 12, 2019

Delivery date: October 20, 2020

For more information on this report, contact Elections Canada at rop-por@elections.ca.

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.

Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc.
1678 Bank Street, Ste. 2
Ottawa, ON K1V 7Y6
www.phoenixspi.ca

This public opinion research report presents the results of questions from the National Electors Survey conducted in the context of the October 21, 2019, federal election to inform development of policy, programs and services to electors.

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Elections Canada. For more information on this report, contact Elections Canada at rop-por@elections.ca.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Prime Minister of Canada, 2020

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Étude nationale auprès des électeurs pour la 43^e élection générale canadienne – Rapport sur les questions de politique et d'engagement civique.

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Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
  • Background and Objectives
  • Methodology
  • Notes to Reader
• Detailed Findings
  1. Political Financing and Government Advertising
  2. Civic Engagement and Participation in Politics
  3. Voting Technology
  4. Protection of Personal Information
  5. Political Communications
  6. Concerns about Electoral Integrity Issues
• Profile of Survey Respondents

List of Figures

• Figure 1: Knowledge of political contribution limits
• Figure 2: Views on whether the public has a right to know where political parties and candidates get their money
• Figure 3: Views on political party spending limits during elections
• Figure 4: Views on government advertising during elections in another jurisdiction
• Figure 5: Views on government officials campaigning in another jurisdiction
• Figure 6: Views on who is most responsible for encouraging civic education versus encouraging young people to vote
• Figure 7: Views on lowering the voting age to 16
• Figure 8: Views on ways to ensure representation of women among candidates
• Figure 9: Views on ways to ensure Indigenous representation among candidates
• Figure 10: Preferred ballot-counting method
• Figure 11: Preferred method of keeping lists of electors at the polls
• Figure 12: Views on voting on the Internet as risky versus safe
• Figure 13: Views on whether voting over the Internet should be an option in federal elections
• Figure 14: Trust in Elections Canada to protect the personal information of Canadians
• Figure 15: Views on political parties collection and use of personal information
• Figure 16: Ways viewed as appropriate for political entities to contact electors
• Figure 17: Ways in which electors were contacted by parties or candidates during the election
• Figure 18: Views on the potential impact of voter fraud
• Figure 19: Trust in sources of news information
• Figure 20: Recall of false information about voting during the election period
• Figure 21: Election-period concerns about the potential impact of electoral interference on the election outcome
• Figure 22: Post-election perception that electoral interference was a problem in the GE
• Figure 23: Proportion of electors who thought problems of electoral interference had an impact on the outcome of the GE

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