FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VAST MAJORITY OF CARP MEMBERS REJECT FAIR ELECTIONS ACT
Support for government crumbles: CARP Poll
TORONTO, APRIL 6, 2014 – The vast majority of CARP members disapprove of the provisions of the Fair Elections Act when they are described to them (80%), and fully two thirds disapprove strongly (63%). Furthermore, a similarly overwhelming number of members say the Act will diminish democracy (79%), and fully two thirds say it will diminish democracy a great deal (62%). They want the Bill withdrawn (55%) or amended significantly (22%).
CARP will be a witness at the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs studying Bill C-23 on Monday April 7th at 7 pm in Ottawa – Room 237-C, Centre Block.
CARP members see reduced voter participation as a bigger problem than voter fraud. When asked if the measures in the Bill will mostly reduce voter fraud or mostly reduce voter turnout, four times as many say turnout will suffer (63%) as say fraud will be prevented (15%), and fully three quarters say the provision banning vouching as a form of voter ID will create barriers to voting (75%).
Fair Elections Act a ballot issue for CARP members – support for government plummets.The effect of the Bill on CARP support for the government has been dramatic. Electoral preference among decided voters for the Conservatives, relatively steady at 33% two weeks ago, has tumbled to 26% now, putting them close to third place NDP with 17%. In contrast, support for the Liberals has soared from a relatively slim lead at 36% two weeks ago to more than half today (52%), a record high for the Liberals since we began polling CARP members, and a record low for the Conservatives. This is a demonstration of the importance CARP members attach to their franchise.
CARP members reject all major provisions of Bill C-23
80% disapprove of prohibiting Chief Electoral Officer from promoting voter turnout and reject the notion that this can lead to bias
72% do not think that vouching is a source of voter fraud and 75% think that banning vouching will suppress voter participation
83% think the Bill does not do enough to deal with robocalls
87% disapprove of allowing political parties to nominate polling officials and the party with the most votes to nominate the central poll supervisor
80% say that the Bill as a whole will diminish democracy
73% disapprove of raising campaign contribution limits
CARP members are deeply committed to our democratic institutions especially something as central as the electoral process and this Bill has made them furious, to the point that their traditional support for the government has plummeted. Older voters are considered an important part of the Conservative base so the government should take note of what they say.
CARP members are among the most avid voters and clearly see this Bill as one more attack on their franchise. They reject every one of the major provisions in the Bill and call for it to be withdrawn. said Susan Eng, VP Advocacy for CARP.
Detailed Findings
The government has introduced a Bill revising the Elections Act in several ways, including:
A) a person will no longer be permitted to vouch for the identity of another,
B) the Voter Information Cards can no longer be used as proof of residence;
C) The Chief Electoral Officer will no longer be able to promote voting turnout among youth and other under-represented groups,
D) Nor will he be able to investigate or prosecute violations of the Elections Act,
E) Campaign donation limits will be raised and
F) Election officials will be nominated by political parties.
Do you approve or disapprove of these proposals?
| APPROVE |
17% |
| Approve strongly |
6% |
| Approve |
11% |
| DISAPPROVE |
80% |
| Disapprove |
17% |
| Disapprove strongly |
63% |
| DONT KNOW |
3% |
The government has claimed that the main purpose of the new Bill is to prevent voter fraud. Critics claim it will reduce voter participation. Will this Bill mostly reduce voter fraud, mostly reduce voter participation, do neither or do both?
| Mostly reduce voter fraud |
15% |
| Have no effect one way or another |
8% |
| Mostly reduce voter participation |
62% |
| Will do both |
11% |
| MARGIN IN FAVOUR OF REDUCE FRAUD |
– 47 |
| OTHER/DONT KNOW |
4% |
Will the banning of vouching as a means of voter identification impose barriers to voter participation?
| Yes |
75% |
| No |
18% |
| DONT KNOW |
7% |
Taken all together, will the provisions of this Fair Elections Act improve democracy or diminish it?
| IMPROVE IT |
17% |
| A great deal |
4% |
| Somewhat |
13% |
| DIMINISH IT |
79% |
| Somewhat |
17% |
| A great deal |
62% |
| DONT KNOW |
4% |
Electoral Preference
The Liberals have increased their share among decided voters dramatically from 36% to 52%, a new high in our 6 years of polling, while the Conservatives have tumbled from 33% to 26%, a new low for them. The NDP is in third place with 17% of the vote
More than 2700 CARP Poll panel members responded to this poll between April 5 and 6, 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
Michael Nicin 416.607.2479
Director of Policy
Siobhan MacLean 416.607.2475
Media and Communications Coordinator
for
Susan Eng
Vice President, Advocacy
CARP, A New Vision of Aging for Canada
or visit our website: www.carp.ca
—
Read CARP’s recommendations to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in Ottawa here: CARP Opposes Fair Elections Act, Bill C-23
