VOL. 5 • NO. 2 • JULY 2003 ELECTORAL www.elections.ca YouthYouth ParticipationParticipation inin ElectionsElections WhyWhy areare theythey votingvoting less?less? HowHow cancan theythey bebe engaged?engaged? Contents VOL. 5 • NO. 2 • JULY 2003 Chief Electoral Officer’s Message 1 Chief Electoral Officer’s Message 3 Youth Participation in Elections 3 Confronting the Problem of Declining Voter Turnout Among Youth Jon H. Pammett and Lawrence LeDuc Youth Participation in Elections A new survey explores the reasons for the drop in youth turnout 9 Turned Off or Tuned Out? Youth Participation in Politics emocracy is based on the right of citizens to participate Elisabeth Gidengil, André Blais, Neil Nevitte and Richard Nadeau Political interest is key to encouraging young people to vote in making the decisions that affect them and in 15 Examining Declining Electoral Turnout Among determining the rules by which they agree to live Canada’s Youth Dtogether. These fundamental rights find full meaning only Brenda O’Neill Editor Youth are more likely than older Canadians to believe voting is not F. Leslie Seidle when citizens engage, as actively as possible, in public life. important, but they are not more cynical about democracy Publications Manager 20 Electoral Participation and the Knowledge Deficit The act of voting is an essential manifestation of that Francine Dalphond Paul Howe engagement. Managing Editor Political knowledge helps explain why younger age groups are voting less Wayne Brown 26 Increasing Youth Voter Registration: Best Practices in This special issue of Electoral Insight is devoted to exploring Targeting Young Electors Jean-Pierre Kingsley Keith Archer Chief Electoral Officer of Canada a major challenge to contemporary Canadian democracy: the For more information, contact A survey of approaches to encourage youth registration in Australia, Elections Canada: New Zealand and the United Kingdom decline in voter turnout during the past decade and, in particular, Telephone: 1 800 463-6868 31 Marketing Voter Participation to the MuchMusic Generation among the youngest group of eligible Canadians. The trend is not entirely new; nor is it www.elections.ca Phillip Haid Some ideas from a social marketing perspective for re-establishing the confined to Canada. It could, however, worsen if steps are not taken to reverse it. © ELECTIONS CANADA 2003 relevance of politics for youth ISSN 1488-3538 From an average of 75 percent during the period from the Second World War to 1988, voter turnout in Canadian federal EC 91827 36 How Old Is Old Enough to Vote? Youth Participation elections declined in 1993 and again in 1997. At the most recent general election in 2000, voter participation dropped ALL RIGHTS RESERVED in Society PRINTED IN CANADA Raymond Hudon and Bernard Fournier further to slightly more than 64 percent of registered electors. Most troubling is the finding of a major research study by Surveys of Quebec students suggest preparing them for voting is more professors Jon Pammett (Carleton University) and Lawrence LeDuc (University of Toronto) that only about one quarter important than lowering the voting age (25.4 percent) of eligible 18–24-year-olds voted in the 2000 election. 42 Lowering the Voting Age: European Debates and Experiences I am grateful to all the authors of the articles published in this issue for agreeing to share their research and analysis on Kees Aarts and Charlotte van Hees the subject of declining youth electoral participation. Taken together, their contributions indicate that young Canadians Emerging debates on extending the franchise to 16-year-olds Eleanor Milne, Chris Fairbrother and have not been exercising their democratic right to vote to the same degree as older citizens because of lower levels of Marcel Joanisse 47 Rush the Vote political knowledge, feelings of apathy, a declining sense that voting is a civic duty, and limited contact with political The Vote (1979–1980) Wayne Brown Indiana limestone, 121.9 x 182.8 cm, parties and candidates. Artists promote youth voting House of Commons, Ottawa Elections Canada is the non-partisan Submissions of articles and photos that might As I said in my address to the Symposium on Electoral Participation in Canada at Carleton University on March 21, 2003, The base stone of The Vote, a sculpture agency responsible for the conduct of be of interest to Electoral Insight readers are Elections Canada is committed to addressing the issue of declining turnout among young Canadian voters. Certain measures on the east wall of the House of Commons federal elections and referendums welcome, although publication cannot be chamber, shows four heads with flowing guaranteed. If used, submissions will be edited will be implemented by the time of the next federal election, while others will be launched following consultations and, Electoral Insight hair whose mouths shape, in song, the is published by Elections for length and clarity as necessary. in some cases, pilot projects. Canada three times a year. It is intended first syllables of Canada’s national for those interested in electoral and related Please address all contributions and letters to anthem, “O-Ca-na-da”. matters, including parliamentarians, officials Wayne Brown, Managing Editor, of international and domestic electoral man- Electoral Insight, Elections Canada, Cover photo: Getty Images agement bodies, election officers and academics. 257 Slater St., Ottawa, Canada The opinions expressed are those of the authors; K1A 0M6 ([email protected]). they do not necessarily reflect those of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. July 2003 1 Contents VOL. 5 • NO. 2 • JULY 2003 Chief Electoral Officer’s Message 1 Chief Electoral Officer’s Message 3 Youth Participation in Elections 3 Confronting the Problem of Declining Voter Turnout Among Youth Jon H. Pammett and Lawrence LeDuc Youth Participation in Elections A new survey explores the reasons for the drop in youth turnout 9 Turned Off or Tuned Out? Youth Participation in Politics emocracy is based on the right of citizens to participate Elisabeth Gidengil, André Blais, Neil Nevitte and Richard Nadeau Political interest is key to encouraging young people to vote in making the decisions that affect them and in 15 Examining Declining Electoral Turnout Among determining the rules by which they agree to live Canada’s Youth Dtogether. These fundamental rights find full meaning only Brenda O’Neill Editor Youth are more likely than older Canadians to believe voting is not F. Leslie Seidle when citizens engage, as actively as possible, in public life. important, but they are not more cynical about democracy Publications Manager 20 Electoral Participation and the Knowledge Deficit The act of voting is an essential manifestation of that Francine Dalphond Paul Howe engagement. Managing Editor Political knowledge helps explain why younger age groups are voting less Wayne Brown 26 Increasing Youth Voter Registration: Best Practices in This special issue of Electoral Insight is devoted to exploring Targeting Young Electors Jean-Pierre Kingsley Keith Archer Chief Electoral Officer of Canada a major challenge to contemporary Canadian democracy: the For more information, contact A survey of approaches to encourage youth registration in Australia, Elections Canada: New Zealand and the United Kingdom decline in voter turnout during the past decade and, in particular, Telephone: 1 800 463-6868 31 Marketing Voter Participation to the MuchMusic Generation among the youngest group of eligible Canadians. The trend is not entirely new; nor is it www.elections.ca Phillip Haid Some ideas from a social marketing perspective for re-establishing the confined to Canada. It could, however, worsen if steps are not taken to reverse it. © ELECTIONS CANADA 2003 relevance of politics for youth ISSN 1488-3538 From an average of 75 percent during the period from the Second World War to 1988, voter turnout in Canadian federal EC 91827 36 How Old Is Old Enough to Vote? Youth Participation elections declined in 1993 and again in 1997. At the most recent general election in 2000, voter participation dropped ALL RIGHTS RESERVED in Society PRINTED IN CANADA Raymond Hudon and Bernard Fournier further to slightly more than 64 percent of registered electors. Most troubling is the finding of a major research study by Surveys of Quebec students suggest preparing them for voting is more professors Jon Pammett (Carleton University) and Lawrence LeDuc (University of Toronto) that only about one quarter important than lowering the voting age (25.4 percent) of eligible 18–24-year-olds voted in the 2000 election. 42 Lowering the Voting Age: European Debates and Experiences I am grateful to all the authors of the articles published in this issue for agreeing to share their research and analysis on Kees Aarts and Charlotte van Hees the subject of declining youth electoral participation. Taken together, their contributions indicate that young Canadians Emerging debates on extending the franchise to 16-year-olds Eleanor Milne, Chris Fairbrother and have not been exercising their democratic right to vote to the same degree as older citizens because of lower levels of Marcel Joanisse 47 Rush the Vote political knowledge, feelings of apathy, a declining sense that voting is a civic duty, and limited contact with political The Vote (1979–1980) Wayne Brown Indiana limestone, 121.9 x 182.8 cm, parties and candidates. Artists promote youth voting House of Commons, Ottawa Elections Canada is the non-partisan Submissions of articles and photos that might As I said in my address to the Symposium on Electoral Participation in Canada at Carleton University on March 21, 2003, The base stone of The Vote, a sculpture agency responsible for the conduct of be of interest to Electoral Insight readers are Elections Canada is committed to addressing the issue of declining turnout among young Canadian voters. Certain measures on the east wall of the House of Commons federal elections and referendums welcome, although publication cannot be chamber, shows four heads with flowing guaranteed.