Elections Canada says the turnout of young voters in last October’s election was up sharply from 2011. The agency says voter participation among those aged 18 to 24 rose by 18.3 percentage points to 57.1 per cent, up from 38.8 per cent in 2011. That’s the biggest jump for that age group since the agency began tracking demographic data in 2004. Among those eligible to vote for the first time, the percentage was 58.3 per cent. The official turnout rate overall was 68.3 per cent, with voters age 65 to 74 recording a 78.8 per cent participation rate. Voter participation on aboriginal reserves was also up, with 61.5 per cent of registered voters casting ballots, up 14 points from 2011, the agency says.
Elections Canada said Statistics Canada surveyed people after the October election, asking those who did not vote why they stayed away from the polls.
Almost a third said they were not interested in politics, while nearly a quarter said they were too busy to bother.
Elections Canada conducted a youth survey after the October vote and reported that while young people are generally satisfied with the way democracy works in Canada, more than a quarter of those surveyed are somewhat or very dissatisfied.
Full Article: Young voter turnout jumped sharply in 2015 contest, Elections Canada reports.