Additional questions were added to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following the last two federal elections to examine the voting patterns of Canadian citizens. Between 2011 and 2015, the turnout rate jumped from 61.1% to 68.3%! In 2015, more than 20 million citizens reported having voted in the federal election, compared with about 17.4 million in 2011.

Younger individuals saw the largest increase in their voting rates between 2011 and 2015. Among people aged 18 to 24, the turnout rate increased from 55% to 67%. Individuals aged 25 to 34 increased from 59% to 70% and those aged 35 to 44 increased from 65% to 75%. 

Between 2011 and 2015, the voting rate increased in all family categories. The largest increase took place among couple parents with young children under the age of 5 (from 63% in 2011 to 75% in 2015). Among lone parents of young children, the rate increased from 43% to 50% over the same period.

Important factors for voting participation are education and employment. In the 2015 federal election, 86% of individuals with a university degree reported casting a ballot, compared with 67% among those who did not have a high school diploma. Employed individuals were more likely to vote than the unemployed (78% compared with 70%). 

Read the full article here: Understanding the increase in voting rates between the 2011 and 2015 federal elections.