• Only one-half of Canadians say they know the names of the candidates in their riding, with results consistent across the provinces.
• Three in ten Canadians typically vote for the same party every election, and another three in ten vote based on the policy or issue positions of the parties. Two in ten vote based on the leader, while few vote based on their local candidate.
September 10, 2021
With the federal election less than two weeks away, we asked Canadians about how they tend to vote. Results from our recent survey suggest that local candidates play less of a role compared with party allegiance or topical issues. Only one-half of Canadians indicate they know the names of the candidates in their riding, while one-half do not. Across demographics, Millenials (58%) are more likely to know the names of candidates in their riding compared to any other age group. Higher-income earners (58%) are also more likely to know their candidates’ names compared to lower-income earners (45%).
When asked what is most important when choosing how to vote in a federal elections, one-third of residents reveal they typically vote for the same party every election. Meanwhile, a similar proportion of Canadians indicate they vote based on the policy or issue positions of the parties and two in ten vote based on the leader of the party. Fewer than one in ten Canadians indicate that they decide based on the local candidate or another reason. Six percent of Canadians say that they generally don’t vote in federal elections.
Regionally, Atlantic Canadians are less likely to vote for the same party every election and are more likely to decide based on the local candidate compared to any other region. Ontario residents are less likely to vote based on the policy or issue positions of the parties compared to any other region.
Results are from an online survey conducted August 24 – 26 2021, with 1,233 Canadians 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s Canadian Omnibus. Fielding every month, the Logit Group’s COVID-19 Omnibus surveys Canadians to ask their opinions and behaviours related to topical issues. Results were analyzed by Narrative Research. Data was weighted based on the 2016 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect population characteristics in each province. As a non-probability sample (i.e., a panel sample where residents have joined a panel to share their opinions), and in accordance with CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards, a margin of error is not applied.
The questions included in this press release were the following:
- Do you know the names of the candidates in your riding?
- Which of the following is usually most important when making up your mind about how to vote in a federal election?
For more information, contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a leading public opinion and market research company headquartered in Canada. The company is certified as a WBE (Women Business Enterprise). As a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, Narrative Research is dedicated to providing clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services. Follow us on Twitter at @EveryNarrative
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented. Follow us on Twitter at @LogitGroup
