Research on Electoral Participation

Barriers to Voting

To address barriers to voting, Elections Canada looks at post-election surveys we conducted, as well as research on participation and democratic engagement. We also have ongoing consultations and relationships with various stakeholder groups.

This section presents results from the 2019 National Electors Study, which had the aim of providing a better understanding of the barriers that some groups of electors may face when voting in federal elections.

• Indigenous Electors
• People with Disabilities
• First-Time Electors – New Canadians
• First-Time Electors – Youth

For more information on what Elections Canada is doing to address barriers to voting, go to our Voters page.

Go to Inspire Democracy to learn more about how Elections Canada and our network of stakeholder organizations are working together to address some of the barriers to getting involved in elections.

Further studies on electoral participation

Here are links to studies on the electoral participation:

• National Electors Study – A voter's journey: from home to the ballot box, Elections Canada
• 2024 Academic Collaborations
• Elector Personas, 2022
• The Burden of Voting in the 2019 Canadian Federal Election
• Post-election evaluations: includes Elections Canada surveys of electors following federal general elections (2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2019), and voter turnout by age and gender (2004, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2019)
• New Survey Results on Canadians' Electoral Participation: includes links to results from the Labour Force Survey on reasons for voting and not voting, 2012
• Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums (1867-2019), Elections Canada, 2019