CARP members see reduced voter participation as a bigger problem than voter fraud; want public hearings on Fair Elections Act – CARP Poll™

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2014

TORONTO, MARCH 10, 2014 – While 4-in-10 CARP members (41%) say voter fraud is a problem in Canada, virtually all say the real problem is voter participation (94%), and more than a third agree the Fair Elections Act proposed by the Conservative government will reduce voter participation (35%) while fewer than a quarter say it will reduce voter fraud (23%). Two thirds agree public hearings must be held on this bill before it is enacted (65%), while just one quarter disagree (26%).

Among further findings of the CARP Poll, conducted among 2500 members between March 8 and March 10, is that one tenth of members (10%) have either had to have someone vouch for them when they voted (4%), an option ruled out by the new bill, or knew someone who had to be vouched (6%). The proportion of members who had to be vouched themselves can be projected up to represent more than 10,000 CARP members alone. Furthermore, one third used the Voter Identification Card (VIC – 34%) the last time they voted, another option which will be prohibited by the bill. Fewer than two thirds used official photo ID (62%).

These findings make it clear that CARP members will not only be inconvenienced by the new bill, many will actually be disenfranchised. And this inconvenience is being imposed to solve a problem only a minority of members believes exists, while it exacerbates an already critical problem, low voter participation, that already exists. Members are clear that they want their input heard on a bill which so fundamentally affects their ability to cast their ballotsaid Susan Eng, VP Advocacy for CARP.

More than 2500 CARP Poll panel members responded to this poll between March 8 and 10, 2014. The margin of error for a probability sample this size is about plus or minus 2%, 19 times out of 20

CARP is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to advocating for a New Vision of Aging for Canada, social change that will bring financial security, equitable access to health care and freedom from discrimination. CARP seeks to ensure that the marketplace serves the needs and expectations of our generation and provides value-added benefits, products and services to our members. Through our network of chapters across Canada, CARP is dedicated to building a sense of community and shared values among our members in support of CARPs mission.

For further information, please contact:

Sarah Park   416.607.2471
Media Relations, Policy Researcher and Coordinator
[email protected]

Michael Nicin   416.607.2479
Director of Policy
[email protected]

Siobhan MacLean 416.607.2475
Media and Communications Coordinator
[email protected]

for

Susan Eng
Vice President, Advocacy
[email protected]

 

CARP, A New Vision of Aging for Canada
or visit our website: www.carp.ca