Low Level of Participation in Canadian Elections: Causes and Solutions

This article discusses the causes and solutions to the low level of participation in Canadian elections at all levels: federal, provincial, and municipal. The article highlights the pitfalls in the current electoral system, the lack of faith in the political system, the high cost of campaigning, the failure of political parties to fulfill their promises, and the lack of awareness among the people about their responsibilities in participatory democracy. The article suggests solutions such as improving the way youngsters get enrolled in the political systems, bringing civic studies in the curriculum, reducing the cost of campaigning, bringing transparency in the political system, and increasing accountability of the politicians and political parties.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

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Canadians have a low level of participation in all levels of elections: federal, provincial and
municipal. What can be done to change this trend?
Participation in democracy has decreased considerably. In Canada, it can be noticed from the
past few decades that the amount of participation has reduced. This reduction in the
participation from the side of the people is a matter of concern for the democracy in Canada.
This downfall can be seen in all three levels of elections i.e. municipal, federal and
provincial. There are various pitfalls in the way elections are being conducted in the country.
These pitfalls have kept youngsters away from the elections and participatory politics (Howe,
2011). There is a decrease of faith in the political system in Canada and this is the major
reason for low level of participation in all the levels of political systems. Despite of the
efforts done by different electoral bodies, it is not easier for them to bring youngsters back in
the active politics. Common people participation is seen to be on the lowermost side (Blais &
Loewen, 2011). This is the major reason why a political class has been created in Canada
where the same people are fighting elections and same candidates are wining regularly.
The first and the major reason of why common people are not joining political system is the
fact that participating in election in any levels of politics has become expensive. Lot of
money is required for doing campaigns. The reduction in the participation has also reduced
the contributions from the side of people (Blidook & Kerby, 2011). This is the major reason
why political parties are taking the help of corporates. This is the major reason why
governments are making decisions that are supporting political parties. At the lower levels
individual businessmen are funding the elections and this is the reason that when particular
parties come into the power, they support those specific people only.
Another major reason for this is the fact that political parties are not fulfilling the demands of
the people after they win elections. Aspirations of youth are kept at the second priority by the
political parties as they are not fulfilling the demands of the people. The promises they have
made before elections are not fulfilled by them. Most of the people find modern day politics
to be dirty. High level of corruption is the major reason for this as it lacks Canadian value
(Cochrane, Dyck & Blidook, 2015). Since political parties have less accountability hence
people are also getting away from them and the functions they are doing. Political parties win
one election at one level and then start preparing for the next one. This has frustrated youth
and hence lesser amount of participation can be seen from their side. Old methodologies are

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followed in the political system which is not attracting the youth to be part of the whole
electoral process.
On the day of elections as well large numbers of turnouts are not seen from the side of
youngsters. It is seen that people who are registering for vote are in lesser numbers. This
reduction in the numbers of people who have registered for vote is the major reason why
voting percentage have come down. The age old methods of registration are the major reason
for it. People are highly busy in the mobile mediums and internet is driving their mind-set
(Craft, 2011). Political parties are also not using websites and other social media options to
connect with the common public. This is reducing their power to reach to individual citizens.
There is a lack of awareness in the people about their responsibilities in the participatory
democracy. The idea of nationalism has become vague and very less amount of people
understands the importance of participating in the active politics so as to make their
democratic formation strong.
People in the past where attracted towards the particular parties because they were highly
motivated towards certain kind of ideologies. Modern day youth is not able to attach
themselves why they do not participate in the electoral campaigns. The relationship among
the people and political parties has come down. When a person gives vote for a particular
cause and if that cause is not fulfilled then faith of the people gets broken from the political
parties (Goodman, 2014). This is the major reason why numbers of people are continuously
decreasing in the active politics. The situation is worse at the lower levels of participation.
This is because they feel that the municipal elections will not do any good.
Political parties are not giving attention to the youngsters and youngsters are not giving
attention to the modern day politics. It is seen that there is large cultural and understanding
gap between the politicians and the people. People want fresh ideas to be pumped in the
electoral systems but the age old thoughts from the side of political parties are reducing the
amount of participation from the side of the workers (Birch, 2010). People do not understand
that it is their prime responsibility to go out for vote. Even when they get time, they use it for
other activities. This is because they feel that whichever governments come into the power,
they betray people and all make false promises.

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Due to the increased complexity and higher use of resources in the elections, people are not
easily able to win elections. Winning election by a common man has become very much
difficult in the type of politics that are carrying on in the nation. Bigger parties are doing
marketing of their brand leaders and their idea at all the levels of elections (Gagnon &
Tanguay, 2016). This makes them star campaigners who attract people while the common
man’s idea still remains on the other hand.
There is also lack in the civic educational infrastructure where people can know about the
rights of the individual. Along with this it is seen that particular group of people always
support a particular party. This is the major reason why they have been successful over the
years. The minority groups always stand on the other side as their support to their parties
matters nothing hence their participation in the active politics have also decreased
(Bevelander & Pendakur, 2014). While talking about women, it can be said that there are
lesser numbers of women politicians in Canada and hence women feels that they are
underrepresented. The problem is bigger in the lower levels of political systems.
There are different things that can be done for changing the trend. First thing that can be done
is improving the way by which youngsters get enrolled in the political systems. It would be
beneficial to use internet mediums as a primary source to enrol new people in the system.
Second thing that can be done in this regard is to bring civic studies in the curriculum of
students from the start only (McGregor & Spicer, 2016). They must be indulged in healthy
political debates. This will help them in understanding the political process and let them give
their ideas in the current political scenarios. In order to remove the understanding gap
between the youngsters and politicians, new leaders must come into the politics with fresh
ideas.
It is essential to remove the process in which only big and wealthy people are coming to
power. Common man is not able to contest and win elections. For this the expenditure on the
cost of campaigning must be brought at the lower levels. Bringing transparency in the
political system must bring the trust back in the political systems. Apart from this,
accountability of the politicians and political parties will help them in bring faith in the
political systems. Promises needs to be fulfilling at least the basic ones so that people also
come out of the house and vote for their cause. Political parties should also look at the
challenges that are faced by the minority group in their nation so that their participation can
also be enhanced. Proper representation of theirs is required at all the three levels of political

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systems (The Conference Board of Canada, 2019). This also goes true with the women
representation. It is very much important for the electoral bodies to spread awareness about
the issue based politics not just based on the propagandas spread by one parties against the
others. All the three levels of elections need to be considered in different perspective and for
different cause. For instance municipal level elections must be considered for development
projects going on in the city, provincial level must be considered for the situations like law
and order. On the other hand federal elections must be considered if the people are facing
challenges at country levels or in the international space.
In conclusion it can be said that for any democracy it is essential to enhance the participation
from the side of the common people. Electoral bodies should also give equal importance to
all the levels of elections so that participation remains high in the lower levels of elections.
Regaining faith in the political systems can only be done when efforts from both sides i.e.
from the side of people and political organisations (Ferrini, 2012). Challenges faced by the
people in getting into the political system needs to be addressed. Till the time, politics is
made the part of life; it is not possible to improve the participation in the electoral events.

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http://inspirerlademocratie-inspiredemocracy.ca/rsch/yth/yeec/yeec-eng.pdf
Blidook, K., & Kerby, M. (2011). Constituency influence on ‘constituency members’: The
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Legislative Studies, 17(3), 327-339.
Cochrane, C., Dyck, P. R., & Blidook, K. (2015). Canadian politics: Critical approaches.
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Electoral Agencies. Revue Gouvernance, 8(1).
Ferrini, L. 2012. Why is Turnout at Elections Declining Across the Democratic World?.
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Goodman, N. J. (2014). Internet voting in a local election in Canada. In The Internet and
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Howe, P. (2011). Citizens adrift: The democratic disengagement of young Canadians. UBC
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McGregor, M., & Spicer, Z. (2016). The Canadian homevoter: Property values and municipal
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The Conference Board of Canada, 2019. Voter Turnout. Retrieved From:
https://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/Details/society/voter-turnout.aspx?
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