Site MenuEvaluation of the Electoral Reminder Program (ERP) for the 42nd Canadian Federal Election
Detailed Findings
This report is divided into five broad sections, most of which have subsections. The first presents an overview of participation in the 42nd general election, held on October 19, 2015. The second section explores respondents' perceptions of Elections Canada. The third section provides an overview of unaided and aided recall of the ERP ads and communications pieces, while the fourth provides an overview of website visits and use during the campaign period. The last section reviews respondents' level of knowledge throughout the survey evaluation period.
Participation in the Federal Election
Self-reported actual behaviours related to the voting process reflected the success of the ERP. The large majority of survey respondents are self-reported voters, and an even higher percentage report to have been registered to vote. Voting in person on election day was the most popular way to cast a ballot, followed by voting at advance polls. Most voters used their driver's licence as a form of identification; some also brought their VIC.
To begin, self-reported voter behaviour in the 2015 election was slightly higher than the actual voter turnout. In the survey, 85% reported to have voted in the federal election held on October 19, 2015. According to Elections Canada, voter turnout was 68.3%.Footnote 5 When comparing our target audiences, there were differences in claimed participation. Almost all in the general population (90%), disabled (86%) and Aboriginal elector (84%) groups reported that they voted in the election, compared to 77% of students and 48% of new voters. This is typical when researching voter behaviour as social desirability comes into play – meaning that respondents may sometimes give what they think is the "right" answer instead of reporting their true behaviour. It should be noted that other research shows that those who participate in surveys may also be more engaged and in fact more likely to vote.
A similar percentage of respondents (90%) reported to be registered to vote in a federal election. By target audience, general population (95%), disabled (93%) and Aboriginal electors (83%) were more likely to report that they were registered to vote than students (77%) and new voters (66%).
When voting, two thirds of respondents used a polling station (65%), while one third voted in advance polls (29%). A few (4%) voted at a local Elections Canada office. These results were consistent across target groups.
The majority of respondents (79%) claimed to have brought their driver's licence as a piece of identification in order to vote. One in five (19%) also brought their VIC, although it is unclear whether this was because they thought it was a form of identification or because it facilitated the voting process. The results were consistent across target audiences.
Graph 1 – Voting in the recent federal election
Text version of graph "Voting in the recent federal election"
BASE1: Respondents who voted in the federal election on October 19 (Phase 4 n=864; Post-campaign n=904)
Q36a. And what option did you use to vote in the recent federal election that took place on October 19th?
BASE2: Respondents who voted in the federal election on October 19 and voted at a polling station on election day, at an advance poll or at a local Elections Canada office (Phase 4 n=847; Post-campaign n=891)
Q36b. What piece(s) of identification did you bring with you when you voted in the recent federal election?
2Unaided responses with 1% or more in post-campaign evaluation shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
Perceptions of Elections Canada
Perceptions of Elections Canada are positive. The findings in this section support the ERP objective of Elections Canada being the primary source of election information.
Unprompted, Elections Canada is the top-of-mind organization for information on the voting process. Many would go to Elections Canada if they needed to lodge a complaint, needed more information about voter registration or needed more information about the voting process. When prompted, the majority of respondents are familiar with Elections Canada and view the organization as the most credible and trusted source for voting-process information. Further, the majority are satisfied with the information provided by Elections Canada.
Throughout the communications program, Elections Canada was the top-of-mind organization for information on the voting process for the majority of electors. One third (34%) of respondents mentioned Elections Canada without prompting in the Benchmark survey. By the post-campaign evaluation, the percentage had increased to 45%, which is a statistically significant increase. In all survey phases, there were very few mentions of other organizations for information about the voting process. About two in five respondents were not able to name an organization (41% in the Benchmark survey and 36% in the post-campaign evaluation, which is a statistically significant change).
General population electors were more likely than other target audiences to name Elections Canada as the top-of-mind organization for voting-process information. In the Benchmark survey, 38% of general population electors mentioned Elections Canada; this increased to 49% in the post-campaign evaluation, a statistically significant change. This is compared to 25% of students, 20% of new voters, 27% of disabled electors and 34% of Aboriginal electors in the Benchmark survey and 32% of students, 37% of new voters, 42% of disabled electors and 33% of Aboriginal electors in the post-campaign evaluation. For these other target audiences, the changes by phase were not statistically significant, with the exception of the 17-point increase among new voters.
Graph 2 – Top-of-mind organization for electoral-process information
Text version of graph "Top-of-mind organization for electoral-process information"
Unaided responses with 1% or more shown.
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q34. Who or which organization first comes to mind when you think about information on the voting process?
The majority of respondents were at least somewhat familiar with Elections Canada at each stage of the ERP evaluation. Following the ERP, 86% of respondents were at least somewhat familiar with Elections Canada, including 8% who were extremely familiar, 28% who were very familiar and 49% who were somewhat familiar. This reflected an increase from the Benchmark result of 72% of electors being at least somewhat familiar.
Familiarity with Elections Canada saw a directional increase over the course of the campaign across all target groups. Familiarity was higher among disabled (91%), Aboriginal (88%) and general population (87%) electors and lower among students (68%) and new voters (76%).
Graph 3 – Familiarity with Elections Canada
Text version of graph "Familiarity with Elections Canada"
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q38. Overall, how familiar would you say you are with Elections Canada? Would you say you are ...
Most eligible voters felt that Elections Canada was the most trusted and credible source of information about the electoral process. In the Benchmark survey, three in five electors strongly agreed (a rating of 8, 9 or 10 out of 10) that Elections Canada was the most credible (63%) and trusted (60%) source of information, including one third (30%) who gave the highest rating possible (10 out of 10). This increased to 70% for each measure in the post-campaign survey, including close to two in five (38% and 37%, respectively) who gave the highest rating possible.
Graph 4 – Elections Canada as most trusted and credible source
Text version of graph "Elections Canada as most trusted and credible source"
1Results shown are top 3 box.
BASE: Respondents who have heard of Elections Canada (Benchmark n=1,247; Post-campaign n=1,070)
Q39. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
A. Elections Canada is the most credible source of information about the electoral process.
B. Elections Canada is the most trusted source of information about the electoral process.
The following table highlights the differences in opinion when comparing the target audiences.
| Most Trusted Source | Most Credible Source | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benchmark | Post-campaign | Benchmark | Post-campaign | |
| Overall | 63% | 70% | 60% | 70% |
| Students | 50% | 50% | 51% | 57% |
| Aboriginal electors | 55% | 59% | 48% | 61% |
| New voters | 41% | 55% | 42% | 56% |
| Disabled electors | 62% | 84% 
|
59% | 80%
|
| General population | 67% | 72%
|
63% | 72%
|
Results shown are top 3 box.
BASE: Respondents who have heard of Elections Canada (Benchmark n=1,247; Post-campaign n=1,070)
Q39. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
- Elections Canada is the most credible source of information about the electoral process.
- Elections Canada is the most trusted source of information about the electoral process.
Many electors were satisfied with the information they had received from Elections Canada. By the post-campaign survey, three in four (74%) had high levels of satisfaction, including two in five (40%) who were completely satisfied (a rating of 10 out of 10) with the information received and one third (33%) who were very satisfied (8 or 9 out of 10). This was a substantial increase from the 50% of Benchmark survey respondents who had high levels of satisfaction.
Disabled electors (84%) and the general population group (78%) had higher satisfaction than Aboriginal electors (65%), new voters (59%) and students (43%).
By the conclusion of the ERP, the majority of respondents (83%) had had their information needs met, up from 65% in the Benchmark survey. Of those who needed more information, most were not able to name what they had needed (45%). Early in the communications program, specific mentions varied (55% where to vote, 22% VIC and 15% voting date). By the end of the communications program, the main mention was of voting locations (19%).
Graph 5 – Satisfaction with voting-process information and meeting informational needs
Text version of graph "Satisfaction with voting-process information and meeting informational needs"
1Results shown are top 3 box.
BASE: All respondents (Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q40b. Is/Was there any information on the voting process that you need(ed), but that you have/did not receive(d)?
Q40a. Overall, how satisfied are/were you with the information received from Elections Canada regarding the voting process, meaning where, when and the ways to vote in the federal election?
Graph 6 – Unaided voting-process information not yet received
Text version of graph "Unaided voting-process information not yet received"
Unaided responses with 2% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Those who had information needs that were not met (Phase 2 n=330; Phase 3 n=68; Phase 4 n=109; Post-campaign n=93)
Q40c. What information on the voting process do/did you need that you have/did not receive(d)?
Knowledge of how to submit a complaint was generally low, but did increase as the ERP was rolled out. In the post-campaign evaluation, about half of electors (53%) did not know what to do should they wish to lodge a complaint about the voting process. This reflected a decrease from the 59% reported in the Benchmark survey. As the ERP went on, more respondents indicated that they would look to Elections Canada in some form (35%, up from 28% in the Benchmark survey) should they have a complaint.
Graph 7 – Unaided knowledge of where to lodge a complaint about the voting process
Text version of graph "Unaided knowledge of where to lodge a complaint about the voting process"
Unaided responses with 2% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q37. There may be instances when people may want to lodge a complaint about the voting process. If you wanted to file a complaint, where would you go?
Electors would have likely gone to Elections Canada in some form if they had required information about the voting process. In the Benchmark survey, one quarter (25%) indicated that they would go to Elections Canada; this increased to 40% of electors by the post-campaign survey. A similar proportion, during any phase of the survey evaluation, would have conducted a general Internet search (27%).
This trend was consistent by target audience.
Graph 8 – Unaided sources of information about the voting process
Text version of graph "Unaided sources of information about the voting process"
Unaided responses with 3% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q33a. If you needed it, where would you go for more information about where, when and the ways to vote or other information about the electoral process?
Electors who were not registered to vote would have conducted a general search on the Internet if they had required information about voter registration. However, almost half of unregistered electors did not know where to go for this information. This makes sense given that those who were not registered were less likely to be familiar with Elections Canada or feel knowledgeable about where, when and the ways to vote.
These findings were consistent throughout the campaign evaluation and across target audiences.
Graph 9 – Unaided sources of information about registering to vote
Text version of graph "Unaided sources of information about registering to vote"
Unaided responses with 1% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Respondents who are not registered to vote (Benchmark n=223; Phase 2 n=419; Post-campaign n=106)
Q26. If you required it, where would you go to get more information about registering to vote?
Recall
Both unaided and aided recall of Elections Canada advertisements and communications pieces increased as the ERP was rolled out. By the end of the campaign, one in four electors who recalled (unaided) an ad or communications piece about the voting process (the majority of respondents) attributed it to Elections Canada and were able to cite intended messages such as where, when and the ways to vote. When respondents were prompted with descriptions of specific Elections Canada ads and communications pieces, the VIC and reminder brochure had the highest aided recall. The Election Day advertising campaign had the highest aided recall of any campaign tested. A few electors were aware that the ads and communications pieces were in accessible formats and in languages other than French and English.
UNAIDED RECALL
The likelihood that an elector would recall, without prompting, an ad or communications piece about the voting process increased as the ERP was rolled out. By Phase 3, the majority (79%) of respondents recalled an ad or communications piece; this remained the percentage of electors to have this type of recall through to the post-campaign survey (79%) – this is a 41 percentage-point (ppt) increase.
Each target audience saw an increase in unaided recall of ads or communications pieces between the Benchmark and post-campaign surveys. Students (41%), new voters (38%) and disabled (36%), Aboriginal (41%) and general population (38%) electors began with similar levels of unaided recall. After the election, disabled (86%) and general population (80%) electors were more likely than students (59%), new voters (68%) and Aboriginal electors (71%) to have unaided recall of ads and communications pieces related to the voting process.
Graph 10 – Unaided recall of ads or communications pieces about the voting process (overall)
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q12a. Over the past few weeks or so, have you seen, heard or read any advertising or communications about the voting process, meaning where and when and the ways to vote in the next/recent Canadian federal election?
TV ads saw the highest unaided recall of any medium; unaided recall of this medium went from a high of 62% in the Benchmark survey to 50% in the post-campaign evaluation. It is possible that the decreased proportion in the recall of telephone ads was a result of the different types of ads and communications pieces being distributed by the end of the campaign. Direct mail started low (3%) and saw steady increases in recall in each phase (to a high of 42% following distribution of the VIC and settling at 30% in the post-campaign survey). Radio and newspaper ads were also among the top media recalled in each phase. These four media were also those that most respondents mentioned having consumed in the weeks prior to completing the survey.
Graph 11 – Unaided recall of ads or communications pieces about the voting process (medium)
Unaided responses with 3% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Those who have seen, read or heard an ad or communications piece in the last few weeks (Benchmark n=472; Phase 2 n=901; Phase 3 n=895; Phase 4 n=777; Post-campaign n=840)
Q13a. And, where did you see this advertising or communications?
In the Benchmark survey conducted before the ERP ads and communications pieces started, most of the unaided recall of ads and communications pieces was about partisan messages: mainly information from, and attack ads about, candidates. By election day, unaided recall was highest for topics related to Elections Canada's key messages: places to vote, being reminded to vote, ID requirements, election date, the VIC, the voting process and advance polls.
Graph 12 – Unaided recall of ads or communications pieces about the voting process (main message)
Unaided responses with 4% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Those who have seen, read or heard an ad or communications piece in the last few weeks (Benchmark n=472; Phase 2 n=901; Phase 3 n=895; Phase 4 n=777; Post-campaign n=840)
Q14a. What can you remember about this advertising or communications? What words, sounds or images come to mind?
As the ERP was rolled out, more electors recalled messages that were perceived to be funded by Elections Canada rather than by other sources. In the Benchmark survey, almost half (44%) of electors recalled messages that they believed to be funded by a political party; by the post-campaign survey, this had decreased to 23% in favour of Elections Canada (24%, up from 6% in the Benchmark survey).
In general, students and new voters were less likely to specifically name Elections Canada as the sponsor of an ad, although they did frequently mention "Government" or "Federal government," so it is possible that they do not distinguish a difference.
Graph 13 – Unaided recall of ads or communications pieces about the voting process (sponsor)
Unaided responses with 1% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Those who have seen, read or heard an ad or communications piece in the last few weeks (Benchmark n=540; Post-campaign n=928)
Q17a. With regard to the ads or communications you have seen or heard, in your opinion, who produced them? In other words, who funded them?
AIDED RECALL
To measure aided recall of ERP ads and communications pieces, respondents were given descriptions of several items.
By far, the VIC and reminder brochure were the communications pieces that had the highest recall among all target groups. This is not surprising given that these pieces had the widest reach (i.e. the VIC went to all registered voters, and the reminder brochure went to all households). Recall of these pieces was higher for general population as well as ethnocultural and disabled electors and lower for students and new voters; Aboriginal electors had mid-range recall.
The ID tear-off sheets and posters were the next highest-recalled items by all groups. There is a possibility that there was some confusion between the ID tear-off sheets and the reminder brochure, which included the exact same list of ID.
Aided recall of Elections Canada's ads steadily increased in each phase, with the highest recall of all ads seen in Phase 4 (conducted immediately after the election), evaluating the Election Day ads. As seen with the communications pieces, the general population and disabled groups behaved similarly when it came to recall of ads, with higher recall of each ad compared to students and new voters.
The pieces that were most effective (i.e. those with highest recall) were the TV and radio advertisements.
The focus groups revealed an important view from those with a disability: they may become informed through ads, but the accessibility of the ways information is tailored to them needed to be improved. For example, some participants felt that Elections Canada could maintain a list of registered voters who identified a preferred method of communication, such as a Braille VIC. Additionally, accessibility considerations at the polls could be better documented, such as more specific accessibility standards for each polling station, including chairs to sit in while waiting to vote.
For students and new voters, although the highest unaided recall was also for TV ads, they were more likely than other groups to recall ads on the Internet – in particular, Internet banner ads and Facebook ads. For students, they also had high recall of ads on their school campus. Radio ads were often ranked fourth in recall, although the percentage recalling radio ads was in line with the general population.
The following table presents the aided recall of the communications pieces tested. Recall of each communications piece is ranked highest to lowest, and a checkmark ( ✓ ) indicates the top two pieces recalled.
| Communications Piece | Overall | Students | New Voters | Aboriginal Electors | Disabled Electors | General Population | Ethnocultural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIC | ✓ 85% | ✓ 64% | ✓ 61% | ✓ 78% | ✓ 93% | ✓ 89% | ✓ 85% |
| Reminder brochure | ✓ 60% | 41% | ✓ 52% | 50% | ✓ 66% | ✓ 62% | ✓ 65% |
| Phase 4 ID tear-off sheet/poster | 56% | ✓ 43% | 44% | ✓ 59% | ✓ 66% | 58% | 62% |
| Phase 3 ID tear-off sheet | 45% | 34% | 36% | 34% | 56% | 46% | 47% |
| Student postcard | 9% | 11% | 15% | 25% | – | 8% | 8% |
BASE: All respondents (Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046)
QAD11;26–28;35. Do you remember receiving a [INSERT FORMAT] over the past few weeks or so describing how to [INSERT MESSAGE]?
The following table presents the aided recall of the advertisements tested, by audience. Recall of each advertisement is ranked highest to lowest, with the top five ads recalled indicated with a checkmark ( ✓ ). Ad campaigns are grouped by colour: the Registration ad campaign is blue; the VIC ad campaign is purple; the Advance Poll campaign is orange; and the Election Day ad campaign is grey.
| Advertisement | Overall | Students | New Voters | Aboriginal Electors | Disabled Electors | General Population | Ethnocultural Electors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election day – radio ad | ✓ 38% | ✓ 38% | ✓ 30% | ✓ 61% | ✓ 43% | ✓ 38% | ✓ 37% |
| Election day – print ad | ✓ 34% | ✓ 39% | 22% | 26% | ✓ 41% | ✓ 34% | ✓ 38% |
| VIC – radio ad | ✓ 32% | 24% | 12% | ✓ 54% | ✓ 38% | ✓ 35% | ✓ 42% |
| Advance polls – radio ad | ✓ 31% | 27% | 19% | 36% | ✓ 37% | ✓ 32% | ✓ 29% |
| Election day – TV ad | ✓ 29% | 25% | 22% | 33% | ✓ 39% | ✓ 28% | 19% |
| Election day – Internet ad | ✓ 29% | ✓ 48% | ✓ 42% | ✓ 46% | 33% | 25% | ✓ 33% |
| VIC – print ad | 28% | ✓ 35% | ✓ 26% | 30% | 29% | 27% | 28% |
| VIC – TV ad | 25% | 29% | 17% | 17% | 25% | 26% | 18% |
| Registration – radio ad | 19% | 23% | ✓ 24% | 28% | – | 18% | 14% |
| Election day – Facebook ad | 18% | 31% | ✓ 27% | 27% | 27% | 14% | 14% |
| Registration – Internet ad | 15% | 30% | 19% | 19% | – | 13% | 15% |
| Advance poll – print ad | 12% | 18% | 3% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 20% |
| VIC – out of home: public transit/campus | 12% | ✓ 39% | 4% | 17% | 13% | 10% | 22% |
| VIC – Internet ad | 12% | 23% | 14% | 16% | 12% | 11% | 21% |
| Registration – print ad | 10% | 10% | 13% | 24% | – | 9% | 11% |
| Registration – TV ad | 10% | 13% | 12% | ✓ 37% | – | 10% | 3% |
| VIC – Facebook ad | 10% | 25% | 5% | 12% | 12% | 9% | 5% |
| Advance polls – TV ad | 9% | 11% | 7% | 23% | 10% | 9% | 10% |
| Registration – out of home: public transit/campus – X ballot mark | 8% | 22% | 13% | 4% | – | 6% | 7% |
| Election day – Twitter ad | 8% | 10% | 7% | 4% | 14% | 7% | 6% |
| Advance polls – Internet ad | 7% | 20% | 1% | 16% | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Registration – out of home: public transit/campus – birthday cake | 7% | 21% | 13% | 5% | – | 5% | 7% |
| Advance Poll – Public Transit/campus | 6% | 12% | 5% | 6% | 8% | 5% | 7% |
| Registration – out of home: Tim Hortons | 6% | 10% | 10% | 2% | – | 5% | 2% |
| VIC – out of home: Tim Hortons | 6% | 17% | 2% | 6% | 3% | 5% | 1% |
| Advance polls – Facebook ad | 5% | 11% | – | 10% | 3% | 5% | 7% |
| Advance polls – Tim Hortons | 5% | 12% | 9% | 1% | 3% | 5% | 6% |
| Registration – out of home: Tim Hortons – birthday cake | 5% | 9% | 8% | 1% | – | 4% | 2% |
| Registration – Facebook ad | 5% | 13% | 13% | ✓ 37% | – | 3% | 2% |
| Registration – Twitter ad | 5% | 6% | 9% | 4% | – | 4% | 1% |
BASE: All respondents (Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046)
QAD1–10;12–25;29–34. Do you remember receiving a [INSERT FORMAT] over the past few weeks or so describing how to [INSERT MESSAGE]?
Aided recall of the "Ready to Vote" slogan was measured in each survey phase. As the ERP was rolled out, aided recall of the slogan increased from 15% in the Benchmark survey to 35% in the post-campaign survey.
Almost all target audiences' recall of the "Ready to Vote" slogan increased from the Benchmark survey to the post-campaign survey. New voters' recall of the slogan increased directionally over the course of the communications program (although the difference is not statistically significant). When comparing recall of the "Ready to Vote" slogan by target audience, students had the highest aided recall of the slogan (44%) in the post-campaign survey.
Graph 14 – Aided recall of the "Ready to Vote" slogan
Text version of graph "Aided recall of the "Ready to Vote" slogan"
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q40. Do you recall hearing or seeing the slogan "Ready to Vote"?
Accessibility and languages
Respondents who recalled at least one of the Elections Canada ERP ads or communications pieces were asked whether they were aware that any of the ads or communications pieces were available in an accessible format. About one in five respondents recalled an accessible format between Phase 2 (19%) and Phase 4 (24%).
Recall was consistent by phase and target audience.
Graph 15 – Awareness of accessible advertisements and communications pieces
Text version of graph "Awareness of accessible advertisements and communications pieces"
BASE: Those who have seen, read or heard an advertisement or communications piece (Phase 2 n=748; Phase 3 n=1,048; Phase 4 n=817)
QACCESSIBLEFORMAT1. Are you aware that the advertisements and communications pieces we have previously described are available in accessible formats?
Aboriginal and/or ethnocultural electors who recalled at least one of the Elections Canada ERP ads or communications pieces were asked whether they were aware that any of the ads or communications pieces were available in a language other than English or French. About one in ten respondents recalled a language other than English or French between Phase 2 (13%) and Phase 4 (10%).
Recall was consistent by phase and target audience.
Graph 16 – Awareness of advertisements and communications pieces in languages other than English or French
BASE: Those who have seen an advertisement and identify as Aboriginal or whose first language is neither English nor French (Phase 2 n=122; Phase 3 n=145; Phase 4 n=213)
QSPECIALLANG1. Thinking about the advertisements and communications pieces we have previously described, have you seen, read or heard any in a language other than English or French?
Website
Survey respondents were asked to evaluate Elections Canada's website to understand visits and user experience. Among website users, satisfaction with the website is high. Almost all users were able to find the information they were looking for, which ranged from voter registration informationFootnote 6 to where to vote and what identification to bring to cast a ballot.
About one third of respondents indicated that they visited the Elections Canada website from the Registration survey (34%) to the Election Day survey (39%). Consistent with other findings related to the Internet, students (53%) were more likely than other target audiences to have ever visited the Elections Canada website.
The percentage of website visitors whose last visit was within three months of completing the survey increased from 69% in the Phase 2 survey to 88% in the Phase 4 survey. This increase was seen in each target audience.
Graph 17 – Visits to the Elections Canada website
Text version of graph "Visits to the Elections Canada website"
BASE1: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
QWEB1. Have you ever visited the Elections Canada website?
BASE2: Respondents who visited the Elections Canada website (Phase 2 n=563; Phase 3 n=360; Phase 4 n=406)
QWEB2. When did you last visit Elections Canada's website?
Satisfaction with the Elections Canada website was high among those who visited it within three months of completing the survey. In fact, three quarters (75%) of respondents were very satisfied with the website. This was consistent since Phase 2 (68%), when this measure was first introduced. Satisfaction was consistent across target audiences.
Very few website visitors who answered the surveys in each phase were dissatisfied. Reasons for dissatisfaction with the website related to the information sought being unavailable or hard to find on the website. Given the small sample size of this question (i.e. fewer than 20 responses in each phase), reasons for dissatisfaction are not graphically shown.
Graph 18 – Satisfaction with the Elections Canada website
Text version of graph "Satisfaction with the Elections Canada website"
Results shown are top 3 box.
BASE: Respondents who visited the Elections Canada website in the last three months (Phase 2 n=413; Phase 3 n=275; Phase 4 n=357)
QWEB6. Overall, how satisfied were you with your experience using Elections Canada's website during this federal election?
Between the Phase 2 survey and the Phase 4 survey, the type of information sought on the Elections Canada website saw some directional changes (i.e. not statistically significant, but observed). Registration-related needs, such as confirming that a person was registered to vote (14%) or how to register to vote (9%), declined as election day approached (to 5% and 3%, respectively). Instead, users started more frequently looking for what a person needed to bring to the polling station in order to vote (3% in the Benchmark survey to 14% in the Phase 4 survey). Queries of where to vote were consistent throughout the campaign (12% in the Benchmark survey and 14% in the Phase 4 survey).
Graph 19 – Unaided information sought on the Elections Canada website
Text version of graph "Unaided information sought on the Elections Canada website"
Unaided responses with 2% or more in Phase 4 are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Respondents who visited the Elections Canada website in the last three months (Phase 2 n=413; Phase 3 n=275; Phase 4 n=357)
QWEB5. Thinking of your last visit to Elections Canada's website, what kind(s) of information were you looking for?
Knowledge
The goals of the ERP were to increase knowledge of where, when and the ways to register and vote as well as of voter identification requirements.
Knowledge of Registration
The majority of electors thought that a person needed to be registered to vote in a federal election. This remained consistent between the Benchmark survey (80%) and post-campaign survey (76%) and across target audiences.
Graph 20 – Knowledge of the need to register to vote
Text version of graph "Knowledge of the need to register to vote"
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 2 n=1,519; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q22. To the best of your knowledge, does a person need to be registered to vote in a Canadian federal election?
As the election period progressed, those who claimed to be registered to vote increasingly attributed this knowledge to receiving a VIC in the mail (27% in the Benchmark survey vs. 60% in the post-campaign survey). Fewer respondents attributed their registration to previous actions, such as having checked off the registration box on their income tax form, in the post-campaign survey (2%) than in the Benchmark survey (17%).
Graph 21 – Unaided knowledge of how registered respondents registered to vote
Text version of graph "Unaided knowledge of how registered respondents registered to vote"
Unaided responses with 1% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Respondents who are personally registered to vote (Benchmark n=1,022; Phase 2 n=1,100; Post-campaign n=966)
Q24. How do you know that you are registered to vote?
Among those who were not registered to vote, the process of becoming registered was unclear. The majority did not know how to register, although the percentage decreased from the Benchmark survey (81%) to the post-campaign survey (62%). The few who provided a valid response mentioned registering to vote at a voting station or checking a box on an income tax form. This remained statistically the same between the Benchmark (2% and 3%, respectively) and post-campaign surveys (8%).
Responses were similar across target audiences.
Graph 22 – Unaided knowledge of non-registered respondents on ways to register to vote
Text version of graph "Unaided knowledge of non-registered respondents on ways to register to vote"
Unaided responses with 3% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Those who are aware of the need to be registered to vote, but did not register (Benchmark n=181; Phase 2 n=358; Post-campaign n=75)
Q25. How do you get registered to vote?
Among those who believed they needed to be registered to vote, the majority thought that they needed to update their registration if their information changed. The percentage of electors who believed this increased significantly between the Benchmark survey (71%) and the post-campaign survey (79%). This was consistent across target audiences.
Graph 23 – Knowledge of the need to update voter registration if information changes
Text version of graph "Knowledge of the need to update voter registration if information changes"
BASE: Those who believe that a person needs to be registered to vote (Benchmark n=1,014; Phase 2 n=1,211; Post-campaign n=829)
Q27. To the best of your knowledge, do you need to update your voter registration if your information changes?
Those who believed that voter registration information should be updated if it changed more frequently mentioned going online to update it. As the ERP was rolled out, electors were somewhat more likely to say that they would go online (22%, up 6 points since the Benchmark) or check a box on their income tax form (13%, up 5 points since the Benchmark) to update their voter registration information. In all waves of surveying, about one third did not know how they would update their registration information if it changed.
Graph 24 – Unaided knowledge of how to update voter registration information
Text version of graph "Unaided knowledge of how to update voter registration information"
Unaided responses with 5% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Those who believe that voter registration needs to be updated if information changes (Benchmark n=721; Phase 2 n=940; Post-campaign n=651)
Q28. How would you update your voter registration information?
Knowledge of Voting Process
Knowledge of the voting process increased as the ERP was conducted. More felt knowledgeable about where, when and the ways to vote in addition to demonstrating an increase in knowledge by identifying the various ways to vote and what identification is required to cast a ballot. The VIC is an important communications piece as this is how many electors learn of the identification requirements or know that they are registered to vote.
Electors were asked how informed they felt they were about when, where and the ways to vote in the federal election. From the Benchmark survey to the post-campaign evaluation, the percentage of knowledge claimed by electors doubled. The level of knowledge increased over the course of the campaign (and distribution of ERP ads and communications pieces) and began to plateau in Phase 3, right before election day.
In the Benchmark survey, fewer than half (44%) felt well informed (a rating of 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale) about when and where to vote, while one quarter (23%) felt somewhat informed (a rating of 6 or 7). By the post-campaign survey, the percentage of electors who felt well informed had increased to 86% for when to vote, 81% for where to vote and 73% for the ways to vote; for each measure, another one in ten felt somewhat informed (8%, 10% and 14%, respectively).
Electors were somewhat less likely to feel knowledgeable about the ways to vote than they were about when and where to vote. However, the majority still felt well informed about the ways to vote.
Graph 25 – Feeling informed about when, where and the ways to vote
Text version of graph "Feeling informed about when, where and the ways to vote"
1Results shown are top 3 box. **Ppt change since Phase 2 when "ways to vote" was first introduced.
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q33. Overall, how well informed do you feel you are/were about the following voting processes in the recent federal election?
A. Where to vote
B. When to vote
C. Ways to vote
For the general population and disability groups, knowledge of when to vote was generally high to begin with and remained high over the course of the communications program. The majority also felt knowledgeable about where and the ways to vote, although these measures saw small improvements by Phase 3.
Knowledge was lower for students and new voters, and it increased over the course of the campaign. By the election, the majority knew when to vote. However, about half knew where to vote and the ways to vote, although both of these measures saw increases after each phase of the ERP campaign.
The following table presents the percentage of electors, overall and by target group, who felt informed (a rating of 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 out of 10).
| 6 to 10 out of 10 | Phase 1 Benchmark |
Phase 2 Registration |
Phase 3 VIC/AP/RB |
Phase 4 Election Day |
Phase 5 Post-campaign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Where/when to vote | 67% | – | – | – | – |
| Where to vote | – | 73% | 89% | 89% | 90% |
| When to vote | – | 86% | 93% | 94% | 94% |
| Ways to vote | – | 77% | 88% | 86% | 87% |
| Students | |||||
| Where/when to vote | 38% | – | – | – | – |
| Where to vote | – | 66% | 78% | 69% | 76% |
| When to vote | – | 80% | 86% | 82% | 90% |
| Ways to vote | – | 67% | 74% | 73% | 76% |
| New Voters | |||||
| Where/when to vote | 36% | – | – | – | – |
| Where to vote | – | 60% | 60% | 74% | 82% |
| When to vote | – | 69% | 71% | 84% | 87% |
| Ways to vote | – | 57% | 59% | 62% | 67% |
| Aboriginal Electors | |||||
| Where/when to vote | 59% | – | – | – | – |
| Where to vote | – | 63% | 77% | 76% | 85% |
| When to vote | – | 76% | 87% | 88% | 93% |
| Ways to vote | – | 52% | 69% | 65% | 81% |
| Disabled Electors | |||||
| Where/when to vote | 73% | – | – | – | – |
| Where to vote | – | – | 91% | 87% | 96% |
| When to vote | – | – | 96% | 96% | 97% |
| Ways to vote | – | – | 92% | 92% | 94% |
| General Population | |||||
| Where/when to vote | 73% | – | – | – | – |
| Where to vote | – | 74% | 92% | 92% | 93% |
| When to vote | – | 88% | 96% | 96% | 95% |
| Ways to vote | – | 79% | 92% | 89% | 90% |
Results shown are top 5 box.
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 2 n=1,519; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q33. Overall, how well informed do you feel you are/were about the following voting processes in the recent federal election?
- Where to vote
- When to vote
- Ways to vote
Electors were asked to identify the ways to vote in a federal election. Two question formats were used – one unaided format, where a choice list was not offered, and a second aided format, where a choice list was offered.
The most common unprompted mention of a way to vote other than on election day was at the advance polls. Just under half of electors (43%) offered this answer in the Benchmark survey, and it increased 8 points to fully half (51%) in the post-campaign survey. Some also mentioned voting by mail, which increased from 14% in the Benchmark survey to 23% in the post-campaign evaluation. Very few knew about voting at a local Elections Canada office: 1% offered this option in the Benchmark survey; this increased to 7% in the Phase 2 survey and settled at 3% in the post-campaign survey.
Of note is that a few electors provided responses of being able to vote online throughout the campaign, although the percentage decreased from 8% in the Benchmark survey to 4% in the post-campaign evaluation.
As seen in other measures, the general population, disabled electors and Aboriginal electors exhibited a higher level of knowledge than students and new voters and were more likely to provide unprompted mentions of the correct ways to vote in a federal election.
Graph 26 – Unaided knowledge of the ways to vote in a federal election
Text version of graph "Unaided knowledge of the ways to vote in a federal election"
Unaided responses with 3% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q35. In addition to voting in-person at the polling station on Election Day, in what other ways is it possible to vote in a federal election?
When prompted with a choice list, almost all electors identified that advance polls could have been used to cast a ballot. This was consistent between the Benchmark survey (89%) and the post-campaign evaluation (91%). More electors identified that a local Elections Canada office could have been used to vote when the choice option was presented to them: almost half (44%) identified this option in the Benchmark survey, and this increased 9 points to just over half (55%) in the post-campaign survey. One third of electors (32%) in the Benchmark survey identified that voting could have been done by mail; this increased by 10 points to 42% in the post-campaign survey.
Graph 27 – Aided knowledge of the ways to vote in a federal election
Text version of graph "Aided knowledge of the ways to vote in a federal election"
Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q36. To the best of your knowledge, can you vote in the following ways?
Knowledge of Proof of ID and Address Requirements
Electors were asked what they needed to bring with them to vote in the federal election. Two question formats were used: unaided and aided formats.
Unprompted, most electors knew what to bring to prove their identity, but fewer specifically mentioned the need to prove their address. As well, given the number of mentions of bringing their driver's licence, it is likely that the underlying assumption was that the driver's licence had everything a person needed to vote, without specifically saying identity and address.
Between the Benchmark survey and post-campaign survey, the percentage of electors who mentioned needing to prove their identity increased 10 points, from 63% to 73%. Although fewer mentioned needing to prove their address, a similar percentage increase was seen between the Benchmark survey (17%) and post-campaign survey (26%).
About one in five electors mentioned in the Benchmark survey (20%) and post-campaign survey (24%) that they needed to bring their VIC to vote. However, by Phase 3, more electors mentioned the VIC (40%), which could be a result of the VIC ad campaign that had recently been conducted. However, it is unclear whether this was because they thought the VIC was a form of ID or because they knew it would facilitate the voting process. The focus groups showed that there is some confusion on this point and that the VIC could more clearly articulate this.
Graph 28 – Unaided knowledge of identification requirements in a federal election
Text version of graph "Unaided knowledge of identification requirements in a federal election"
Unaided responses with 7% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q29. If the federal election took place tomorrow, what would you need to provide in order to cast a ballot?
Q29a. As far as you know, what were you required to provide in order to cast a ballot in the federal election?
When prompted, almost all electors knew that proof of identity and address were required to vote. Moreover, increases were seen from the Benchmark survey to the post-campaign survey in the percentage of electors who knew that proof of identity (92% and 96%, respectively) and address (79% and 87%, respectively) were required.
Graph 29 – Aided knowledge of identification requirements in a federal election
Text version of graph "Aided knowledge of identification requirements in a federal election"
BASE: All respondents (Benchmark n=1,256; Phase 3 n=1,112; Phase 4 n=1,046; Post-campaign n=1,072)
Q30. To the best of your knowledge, do voters have to present proof of IDENTITY in order to vote in a Canadian federal election?
Q31. To the best of your knowledge, do voters have to present proof of ADDRESS in order to vote in a Canadian federal election?
As the ERP campaign rolled out, the source that informed a person's knowledge of ID requirements changed. In the Benchmark survey, knowledge was more likely to be attributed to prior knowledge (16%) or a previous voting experience (8%). When the VIC and reminder brochure were distributed, specific mentions of the VIC and a "mailed leaflet" (which may be the respondent's description of the reminder brochure) increased, and mentions of prior experience decreased, for the remainder of the campaign. Mentions of TV sources increased with each phase of the campaign. Important to note is that, as the campaign progressed, more respondents were able to give an answer rather than simply saying "Don't know."
Graph 30 – Unaided source of information about identification requirements
Text version of graph "Unaided source of information about identification requirements"
Unaided responses with 3% or more in the post-campaign evaluation are shown. Multiple responses were accepted.
BASE: Respondents who identify that voters do have to present proof of identity or address in order to vote in a Canadian federal election (Benchmark n=1,179; Phase 3 n=1,049; Phase 4 n=1,003; Phase 5 n=1,072)
Q32. Where do you recall hearing about these requirements?
Conclusion
The goal of the ERP was to inform Canadians about when, where and the ways to register and vote. On the whole, the intended outcomes were achieved, including increased knowledge of when, where and the ways to register and vote, increased knowledge of the proof of identification and address requirements, levels of satisfaction with the information provided by Elections Canada and seeing Elections Canada as the primary source of election information. Few voters were left with unanswered questions about the electoral process by election day. Recall and awareness of the ads and communications pieces increased with each campaign phase. For the most part, voters understood the main messages of the ads and the call to action (both intended messages, such as where to go for information on the electoral process, and unintended, such as encouraging Canadians to vote). Overall, the ERP can be considered to be an effective campaign.
There are some opportunities for Elections Canada to improve when developing the campaign in the next federal election. Although all its target audiences saw increases in knowledge over the course of the campaign, students and new voters indicated a lower level of knowledge of the voting process than Aboriginal electors, disabled electors and the general population. Elections Canada should continue to engage its target audiences, with a focus on reaching students and new voters. Another opportunity is to inform voters of alternative ways of voting, such as voting at a local Elections Canada office or by mail. Awareness of these ways of voting was generally lower for all target audiences compared to voting at advance polls and voting in person on election day. The findings from this study can serve as a benchmark for evaluating future ERP campaigns.
Return to source of Footnote 5 See /res/rep/off/ovr2015app/41/table4E.html.
Return to source of Footnote 6 This evaluation asked about respondents' experience of the website as a whole and did not focus on the online registration service.