A significant proportion of Canadians would like to have an entire day to cast ballots in a federal election without having to show up for school or work, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, almost three-in-five Canadians (58%) agree with declaring Election Day a public holiday in Canada.
A third of Canadians (32%) are not in favour of this idea, and 11% are undecided.
“Canadians aged 18-to-34 (72%) are significantly more likely to concur with the notion of making election day a holiday,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Canadians aged 35-to-54 (57%) and those over the age of 55 (48%) are not as enthusiastic.”
Sizeable majorities of Canadians who voted for the New Democratic Party (NDP) (70%), the Liberal Party (66%) and the Conservative Party (63%) would welcome this change.
A majority of Canadians (62%) believe voting should be mandatory in federal elections, while 29% disagree and 9% are undecided.
Residents aged 55 and over (68%) and Quebecers (67%) are more likely to be in favour of compulsory voting in elections to the House of Commons.
Almost seven-in-ten Canadians (69%) believe it should be mandatory for candidates to attend at least one public debate in their riding with the candidates from other parties, while 18% disagree and 13% are undecided.
