When voters went to the polls on October 19, 2015, they did so in higher numbers than in several previous elections. Elections Canada reports voter turnout for every election since 1867. In 2015, 68.5% of eligible voters cast a ballot, up from 58.8% in 2008 and 61.1% in 2011. This is an encouraging sign that the downword trend in voter participation can be broken. However, the national average masks large differences across the regions. The histogram below shows the distribution of participation rates across all ridings in Canada in 2015.
click on image for high-resolution PDF version
Towards the end of this blog a table shows the participation rate for each riding in descending order of participation rate. Two ridings in Quebec had the highest participation rate, both over 85%. Quebec also holds the record for the lowest participation rate in 2015. In Saint-Léonard Saint-Michel less than 50% of eligible voters turned out to vote.
What explains the large variation in participation rates across ridings in Canada? The answer is unfortunately: nothing obvious. One notion is that turnout is higher in ridings that are contested narrowly. However, regressing the participation rate on the winning margin (the percent-point gap between the front-runner and runner-up) shows a statistically insignificant result.
Population density is only weakly related to voter turnout. One might assume that it is easier to reach polling stations in densely-populatd urban ridings than in sparsely-populated rural ridings. That does indeed show up significantly in statistical terms, but perhaps with a somewhat non-intuitive pattern. Voter turnout is indeed about 5 percentage-points (pp) lower in the most sparsely populated ridings. There is slightly higher voter turnout than average for the mid-range ridings (up to +2pp) in terms of population density, and it is again lower in the most urban rdings (by as much as -2pp). The pattern looks a bit like an inverted "U".
Party preference correlates somewhat with voter turnout. Voter turnout is about 0.37pp higher for each extra 10pp share of conservative voters. In other words, a riding with a 75% share of conservative voters has a 1.85pp higher voter turnout than a riding with a 25% share of conservative voters. This is a relatively small magnitude. There is no similar effect for the vote shares of the other major parties; estimates for other parties are all insignificant statistically. Overall, the effects of population density and party preference explain no more than 5% of the variation in the data that you see in the histogram above.
So what else can explain the variation in voter turnout? The answer must be demographics. It has been widely documented that age composition has a strong effect on turnout: older voter are more likely to vote than younger voters. An Elections Canda report, voter turnout by age group and gender at the 2011 federal general election, documents this "age gradient" in voter turnout. There are also reports about why voter turnout is lower among First Nations. Canadian political scientist André Blais has studied voter turnout patterns across countries and over time. In his 2006 research survey What affects voter turnout? he concludes:
Cross-national studies of turnout have produced a number of robust findings. We can confidently say that turnout is lower in poor countries and higher in small ones, that compulsory voting fosters turnout, and that turnout increases in closely contested elections. [However, we] have a poor understanding of how compulsory voting enhances turnout, and we have a poor appreciation of how much or little competition matters and of how it plays out in [proportional representation] systems. It makes sense to believe that turnout is lower in less salient elections but what makes an election more or less salient is still obscure.
Because our understanding of what drives voter turnout remains poor, it also remains difficult to find ways to increase voter turnout. How do we make an election more salient? In the October 2015 election, there was a mood for change: evicting the incumbent government was a potent motivation for many voters. But such conditions will not exist for every election, nor should they.
Where demographics points to low voter participation, as for young voters and for aboriginal communities, we need to ask what is driving this low turnout. Is it apathy? Is it political disengagement? Is it simply a life-cycle path that older voters care more about politics, or have more at stake financially, when they flock to the polls in larger numbers?
What encouraged me most about engaging young voters is what took place across many schools in Canada. It was reported that more than 850,000 underage voters cast mock ballots in more than 6,000 schools in the national Student Vote program run by Civix, a non-partisan registered charity that educates schoolage children about elections. As Chris Hannay reported in the Globe and Mail on October 20, the student vote was quite in tune with the actual election results: Mock election reveals students would have voted in Liberals. To the people at Civix and the many teachers across all of Canada who promoted the student-vote elections, I send a big Thank-You. Educating our children about the importance of elections is a crucial step in securing the future of our democracy. My 9-year old son participatd proudly in the mock elections. At his International Baccalaureate elementary school in Vancouver, elections were a "unit of inquiry". The student vote turned the federal election into a teachable moment.
For the benefit of our children, perhaps we need more frequent elections. But then again, our neighbours in the United States get to vote every two years, and that does not seem to help much. In the 2014 elections for the House of Representatives voter turnout was a paltry 36.4%. Time magazine reported it as Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections Hits 72-Year Low. This turnout is an embarrassment for a country that considers itself as one of the international guardians of democracy. Canada and the United States can do better. I think Civix got it right: if we want voter turnout to improve, we need to start with our kids.
* * *
Pv | Id | Riding | Popu- lation | Electors | Voters | Partici- pation Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QC | 24067 | Saint-Jean | 93,842 | 69,078 | 60,386 | 87.4% |
QC | 24045 | Louis-Saint-Laurent | 94,766 | 75,030 | 64,683 | 86.2% |
SK | 47010 | Saskatoon–Grasswood | 76,704 | 55,886 | 46,086 | 82.5% |
ON | 35075 | Ottawa Centre | 113,619 | 91,625 | 75,500 | 82.4% |
ON | 35076 | Orléans | 119,247 | 96,174 | 77,988 | 81.1% |
ON | 35088 | Carleton | 89,522 | 73,418 | 59,239 | 80.7% |
NB | 13002 | Beauséjour | 80,416 | 66,170 | 52,936 | 80.0% |
AB | 48032 | Sherwood Park–Fort Saskatchewan | 105,162 | 83,841 | 66,686 | 79.5% |
BC | 59027 | Saanich–Gulf Islands | 104,285 | 85,839 | 68,140 | 79.4% |
ON | 35041 | Kanata–Carleton | 100,846 | 79,831 | 63,323 | 79.3% |
PE | 11004 | Malpeque | 35,039 | 28,556 | 22,472 | 78.7% |
QC | 24048 | Mirabel | 95,095 | 75,521 | 59,418 | 78.7% |
QC | 24058 | Portneuf–Jacques-Cartier | 96,525 | 79,157 | 62,059 | 78.4% |
ON | 35064 | Nepean | 104,775 | 82,976 | 64,888 | 78.2% |
PE | 11001 | Cardigan | 36,005 | 28,777 | 22,485 | 78.1% |
QC | 24074 | Vaudreuil–Soulanges | 106,322 | 84,298 | 65,528 | 77.7% |
BC | 59041 | Victoria | 110,942 | 92,574 | 71,895 | 77.7% |
YT | 60001 | Yukon | 33,897 | 26,283 | 20,291 | 77.2% |
NB | 13003 | Fredericton | 81,759 | 60,587 | 46,722 | 77.1% |
PE | 11003 | Egmont | 34,598 | 27,751 | 21,362 | 77.0% |
BC | 59010 | Cowichan–Malahat–Langford | 99,160 | 80,298 | 61,778 | 76.9% |
BC | 59009 | Courtenay–Alberni | 110,391 | 90,998 | 69,849 | 76.8% |
MB | 46014 | Winnipeg South Centre | 90,711 | 69,799 | 53,571 | 76.8% |
QC | 24064 | Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie | 96,082 | 76,162 | 58,335 | 76.6% |
NB | 13001 | Acadie–Bathurst | 79,340 | 66,594 | 50,963 | 76.5% |
BC | 59021 | North Vancouver | 109,639 | 84,093 | 64,354 | 76.5% |
ON | 35112 | Waterloo | 103,192 | 78,527 | 59,849 | 76.2% |
QC | 24060 | Repentigny | 103,897 | 85,652 | 65,211 | 76.1% |
SK | 47011 | Saskatoon–University | 72,010 | 58,810 | 44,773 | 76.1% |
BC | 59018 | Nanaimo–Ladysmith | 114,998 | 93,578 | 71,241 | 76.1% |
BC | 59026 | Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke | 113,004 | 89,523 | 68,081 | 76.0% |
PE | 11002 | Charlottetown | 34,562 | 27,891 | 21,165 | 75.9% |
ON | 35078 | Ottawa–Vanier | 110,999 | 83,570 | 63,355 | 75.8% |
ON | 35079 | Ottawa West–Nepean | 111,881 | 83,195 | 62,913 | 75.6% |
ON | 35110 | University–Rosedale | 98,605 | 73,963 | 55,925 | 75.6% |
MB | 46013 | Winnipeg South | 85,540 | 63,798 | 48,199 | 75.5% |
NB | 13006 | Miramichi–Grand Lake | 59,343 | 48,158 | 36,364 | 75.5% |
QC | 24014 | Pierre-Boucher–Les Patriotes–Verchères | 95,326 | 78,738 | 59,390 | 75.4% |
SK | 47009 | Regina–Wascana | 77,208 | 56,656 | 42,723 | 75.4% |
AB | 48005 | Calgary Confederation | 111,785 | 88,854 | 66,808 | 75.2% |
ON | 35031 | Glengarry–Prescott–Russell | 106,240 | 85,388 | 64,173 | 75.2% |
QC | 24038 | Laurentides–Labelle | 107,034 | 84,142 | 63,173 | 75.1% |
BC | 59037 | North Island–Powell River | 103,458 | 80,730 | 60,536 | 75.0% |
BC | 59011 | Delta | 100,588 | 74,267 | 55,689 | 75.0% |
SK | 47007 | Regina–Lewvan | 79,587 | 63,894 | 47,834 | 74.9% |
ON | 35081 | Parkdale–High Park | 105,103 | 78,241 | 58,567 | 74.9% |
NB | 13004 | Fundy Royal | 79,331 | 62,713 | 46,820 | 74.7% |
ON | 35077 | Ottawa South | 121,894 | 86,708 | 64,649 | 74.6% |
BC | 59030 | South Surrey–White Rock | 94,678 | 76,078 | 56,631 | 74.4% |
MB | 46009 | Saint Boniface–Saint Vital | 84,353 | 65,626 | 48,823 | 74.4% |
QC | 24036 | Lac-Saint-Louis | 105,317 | 83,824 | 62,312 | 74.3% |
BC | 59013 | Kamloops–Thompson–Cariboo | 118,618 | 93,877 | 69,765 | 74.3% |
NS | 12005 | Halifax | 92,643 | 71,363 | 53,032 | 74.3% |
MB | 46002 | Charleswood–St. James–Assiniboia–Headingley | 81,864 | 63,466 | 47,157 | 74.3% |
BC | 59042 | West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country | 112,875 | 89,459 | 66,458 | 74.3% |
NS | 12002 | Central Nova | 74,597 | 59,585 | 44,263 | 74.3% |
AB | 48022 | Foothills | 105,515 | 82,380 | 60,986 | 74.0% |
ON | 35038 | Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas | 109,535 | 84,350 | 62,279 | 73.8% |
NB | 13008 | New Brunswick Southwest | 66,197 | 51,376 | 37,926 | 73.8% |
BC | 59015 | Kootenay–Columbia | 107,589 | 85,653 | 63,206 | 73.8% |
AB | 48012 | Calgary Signal Hill | 109,647 | 84,765 | 62,519 | 73.8% |
ON | 35053 | London West | 119,090 | 92,326 | 68,027 | 73.7% |
ON | 35090 | Toronto–St. Paul's | 103,983 | 77,433 | 56,972 | 73.6% |
ON | 35101 | Spadina–Fort York | 82,480 | 74,958 | 55,148 | 73.6% |
ON | 35068 | Niagara West | 86,533 | 68,937 | 50,657 | 73.5% |
BC | 59029 | South Okanagan–West Kootenay | 112,096 | 90,694 | 66,594 | 73.4% |
ON | 35072 | Oakville | 119,649 | 88,179 | 64,703 | 73.4% |
NB | 13005 | Madawaska–Restigouche | 62,540 | 50,871 | 37,306 | 73.3% |
ON | 35015 | Burlington | 120,569 | 95,624 | 70,100 | 73.3% |
BC | 59016 | Langley–Aldergrove | 103,084 | 81,812 | 59,896 | 73.2% |
ON | 35086 | Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke | 102,537 | 78,080 | 57,159 | 73.2% |
QC | 24053 | Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount | 100,916 | 70,559 | 51,593 | 73.1% |
ON | 35044 | Kingston and the Islands | 116,996 | 89,990 | 65,772 | 73.1% |
AB | 48001 | Banff–Airdrie | 105,442 | 91,222 | 66,638 | 73.1% |
SK | 47005 | Moose Jaw–Lake Centre–Lanigan | 76,106 | 57,471 | 41,965 | 73.0% |
AB | 48019 | Edmonton Strathcona | 103,183 | 76,160 | 55,604 | 73.0% |
SK | 47004 | Carlton Trail–Eagle Creek | 72,607 | 55,048 | 40,179 | 73.0% |
ON | 35084 | Peterborough–Kawartha | 115,269 | 91,180 | 66,542 | 73.0% |
QC | 24042 | Lévis–Lotbinière | 104,366 | 85,766 | 62,588 | 73.0% |
ON | 35032 | Guelph | 121,688 | 95,761 | 69,868 | 73.0% |
QC | 24011 | Beloeil–Chambly | 109,955 | 91,068 | 66,438 | 73.0% |
NB | 13007 | Moncton–Riverview–Dieppe | 89,484 | 71,350 | 52,041 | 72.9% |
AB | 48008 | Calgary Midnapore | 111,227 | 87,158 | 63,562 | 72.9% |
ON | 35007 | Beaches–East York | 107,084 | 76,173 | 55,530 | 72.9% |
AB | 48007 | Calgary Heritage | 108,320 | 80,213 | 58,430 | 72.8% |
AB | 48002 | Battle River–Crowfoot | 107,140 | 80,698 | 58,769 | 72.8% |
BC | 59022 | Pitt Meadows–Maple Ridge | 94,111 | 71,682 | 52,150 | 72.8% |
BC | 59020 | North Okanagan–Shuswap | 121,474 | 96,243 | 69,954 | 72.7% |
ON | 35049 | Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston | 98,409 | 78,826 | 57,240 | 72.6% |
ON | 35040 | Huron–Bruce | 104,842 | 80,355 | 58,245 | 72.5% |
AB | 48010 | Calgary Rocky Ridge | 108,901 | 87,323 | 63,292 | 72.5% |
ON | 35021 | Don Valley West | 99,820 | 70,524 | 51,086 | 72.4% |
AB | 48033 | Sturgeon River–Parkland | 105,733 | 84,952 | 61,537 | 72.4% |
ON | 35052 | London North Centre | 118,079 | 88,819 | 64,271 | 72.4% |
ON | 35042 | Kenora | 55,977 | 42,548 | 30,752 | 72.3% |
ON | 35091 | Sarnia–Lambton | 106,293 | 80,565 | 58,125 | 72.1% |
AB | 48004 | Calgary Centre | 108,931 | 84,960 | 61,249 | 72.1% |
BC | 59014 | Kelowna–Lake Country | 110,051 | 89,033 | 64,155 | 72.1% |
ON | 35109 | Toronto–Danforth | 104,017 | 77,158 | 55,581 | 72.0% |
ON | 35024 | Eglinton–Lawrence | 113,150 | 77,463 | 55,792 | 72.0% |
SK | 47013 | Souris–Moose Mountain | 72,058 | 52,093 | 37,516 | 72.0% |
QC | 24061 | Richmond–Arthabaska | 102,816 | 81,429 | 58,617 | 72.0% |
BC | 59005 | Central Okanagan–Similkameen–Nicola | 104,398 | 86,093 | 61,973 | 72.0% |
SK | 47002 | Cypress Hills–Grasslands | 67,834 | 50,426 | 36,207 | 71.8% |
QC | 24043 | Longueuil–Saint-Hubert | 104,038 | 81,109 | 58,199 | 71.8% |
AB | 48029 | Red Deer–Mountain View | 110,793 | 86,737 | 62,212 | 71.7% |
ON | 35108 | Toronto Centre | 93,971 | 70,578 | 50,602 | 71.7% |
NS | 12008 | Sackville–Preston–Chezzetcook | 85,583 | 67,401 | 48,301 | 71.7% |
NS | 12004 | Dartmouth–Cole Harbour | 91,212 | 73,066 | 52,270 | 71.5% |
BC | 59017 | Mission–Matsqui–Fraser Canyon | 90,871 | 62,486 | 44,651 | 71.5% |
NS | 12006 | Halifax West | 87,275 | 70,089 | 50,079 | 71.5% |
QC | 24076 | Trois-Rivières | 103,070 | 84,387 | 60,289 | 71.4% |
ON | 35071 | Northumberland–Peterborough South | 107,840 | 89,128 | 63,609 | 71.4% |
NS | 12003 | Cumberland–Colchester | 82,321 | 64,923 | 46,332 | 71.4% |
QC | 24057 | Pontiac | 104,394 | 87,782 | 62,625 | 71.3% |
AB | 48018 | Edmonton Riverbend | 106,302 | 80,938 | 57,740 | 71.3% |
NB | 13010 | Tobique–Mactaquac | 70,632 | 53,870 | 38,427 | 71.3% |
NS | 12001 | Cape Breton–Canso | 75,247 | 60,666 | 43,237 | 71.3% |
ON | 35050 | Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes | 99,306 | 79,195 | 56,436 | 71.3% |
MB | 46006 | Kildonan–St. Paul | 81,794 | 61,604 | 43,875 | 71.2% |
AB | 48030 | Red Deer–Lacombe | 113,693 | 86,609 | 61,662 | 71.2% |
ON | 35113 | Wellington–Halton Hills | 115,880 | 89,653 | 63,812 | 71.2% |
ON | 35073 | Oakville North–Burlington | 114,378 | 85,462 | 60,796 | 71.1% |
AB | 48034 | Yellowhead | 98,855 | 73,996 | 52,525 | 71.0% |
BC | 59039 | Vancouver Quadra | 102,416 | 74,633 | 52,972 | 71.0% |
QC | 24013 | Thérèse-De Blainville | 98,499 | 79,347 | 56,248 | 70.9% |
BC | 59002 | Burnaby North–Seymour | 100,632 | 74,071 | 52,480 | 70.9% |
ON | 35027 | Etobicoke Centre | 114,910 | 87,440 | 61,802 | 70.7% |
BC | 59006 | Chilliwack–Hope | 92,734 | 71,703 | 50,661 | 70.7% |
BC | 59001 | Abbotsford | 96,819 | 68,154 | 48,124 | 70.6% |
QC | 24004 | Alfred-Pellan | 98,045 | 78,288 | 55,169 | 70.5% |
ON | 35030 | Flamborough–Glanbrook | 97,081 | 78,865 | 55,510 | 70.4% |
QC | 24030 | Hull–Aylmer | 103,447 | 78,773 | 55,440 | 70.4% |
NS | 12007 | Kings–Hants | 83,306 | 66,454 | 46,686 | 70.3% |
ON | 35114 | Whitby | 122,022 | 91,891 | 64,516 | 70.2% |
BC | 59007 | Cloverdale–Langley City | 100,318 | 77,044 | 54,075 | 70.2% |
ON | 35028 | Etobicoke–Lakeshore | 115,437 | 92,100 | 64,508 | 70.0% |
QC | 24034 | La Prairie | 99,811 | 82,318 | 57,572 | 69.9% |
ON | 35048 | Lambton–Kent–Middlesex | 105,919 | 80,666 | 56,363 | 69.9% |
SK | 47006 | Prince Albert | 79,344 | 56,563 | 39,510 | 69.9% |
ON | 35106 | Thunder Bay–Superior North | 82,827 | 63,995 | 44,608 | 69.7% |
QC | 24071 | Salaberry–Suroît | 107,538 | 88,355 | 61,535 | 69.6% |
NS | 12009 | South Shore–St. Margarets | 92,561 | 75,904 | 52,775 | 69.5% |
ON | 35046 | Kitchener–Conestoga | 93,827 | 68,623 | 47,699 | 69.5% |
BC | 59023 | Port Moody–Coquitlam | 108,326 | 78,693 | 54,667 | 69.5% |
AB | 48021 | Edmonton–Wetaskiwin | 110,644 | 98,502 | 68,344 | 69.4% |
QC | 24049 | Montarville | 99,518 | 83,532 | 57,917 | 69.3% |
SK | 47008 | Regina–Qu'Appelle | 72,891 | 53,204 | 36,883 | 69.3% |
ON | 35103 | Sudbury | 92,048 | 71,594 | 49,629 | 69.3% |
MB | 46008 | Provencher | 88,640 | 64,598 | 44,745 | 69.3% |
AB | 48026 | Lethbridge | 105,999 | 82,225 | 56,943 | 69.3% |
MB | 46010 | Selkirk–Interlake–Eastman | 91,463 | 71,331 | 49,363 | 69.2% |
AB | 48025 | Lakeland | 104,616 | 79,334 | 54,779 | 69.0% |
NB | 13009 | Saint John–Rothesay | 82,129 | 61,236 | 42,281 | 69.0% |
ON | 35097 | Scarborough–Rouge Park | 102,646 | 71,950 | 49,655 | 69.0% |
ON | 35070 | Nipissing–Timiskaming | 90,996 | 70,820 | 48,875 | 69.0% |
QC | 24016 | Brome–Missisquoi | 98,616 | 85,051 | 58,675 | 69.0% |
ON | 35085 | Pickering–Uxbridge | 109,344 | 85,794 | 59,159 | 69.0% |
QC | 24019 | Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint-Charles | 103,331 | 84,596 | 58,256 | 68.9% |
ON | 35092 | Sault Ste. Marie | 82,052 | 63,555 | 43,757 | 68.8% |
ON | 35018 | Davenport | 102,360 | 72,082 | 49,584 | 68.8% |
ON | 35006 | Bay of Quinte | 109,488 | 83,954 | 57,713 | 68.7% |
QC | 24027 | Gatineau | 106,424 | 84,097 | 57,800 | 68.7% |
ON | 35057 | Milton | 88,065 | 71,754 | 49,308 | 68.7% |
ON | 35025 | Elgin–Middlesex–London | 110,109 | 82,892 | 56,933 | 68.7% |
ON | 35023 | Durham | 115,395 | 93,455 | 64,185 | 68.7% |
ON | 35061 | Mississauga–Lakeshore | 118,893 | 86,308 | 59,273 | 68.7% |
ON | 35014 | Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound | 106,475 | 82,056 | 56,333 | 68.7% |
BC | 59028 | Skeena–Bulkley Valley | 90,586 | 63,459 | 43,564 | 68.6% |
BC | 59004 | Cariboo–Prince George | 108,252 | 78,356 | 53,734 | 68.6% |
AB | 48011 | Calgary Shepard | 110,296 | 96,769 | 66,351 | 68.6% |
NS | 12010 | Sydney–Victoria | 73,328 | 59,761 | 40,974 | 68.6% |
BC | 59033 | Surrey–Newton | 105,183 | 64,798 | 44,424 | 68.6% |
ON | 35039 | Hastings–Lennox and Addington | 92,528 | 72,641 | 49,797 | 68.6% |
NL | 10006 | St. John's East | 81,936 | 65,499 | 44,880 | 68.5% |
QC | 24017 | Brossard–Saint-Lambert | 100,828 | 83,587 | 57,260 | 68.5% |
AB | 48014 | Edmonton Centre | 106,121 | 78,131 | 53,512 | 68.5% |
NS | 12011 | West Nova | 83,654 | 66,796 | 45,679 | 68.4% |
ON | 35054 | Markham–Stouffville | 109,780 | 87,460 | 59,773 | 68.3% |
QC | 24021 | Châteauguay–Lacolle | 92,169 | 75,924 | 51,782 | 68.2% |
SK | 47014 | Yorkton–Melville | 71,270 | 53,694 | 36,613 | 68.2% |
ON | 35089 | St. Catharines | 110,596 | 84,474 | 57,591 | 68.2% |
QC | 24023 | Compton–Stanstead | 101,946 | 81,867 | 55,811 | 68.2% |
ON | 35080 | Oxford | 108,656 | 83,431 | 56,850 | 68.1% |
ON | 35083 | Perth–Wellington | 104,912 | 76,097 | 51,851 | 68.1% |
SK | 47003 | Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River | 69,471 | 44,320 | 30,191 | 68.1% |
ON | 35045 | Kitchener Centre | 102,433 | 76,797 | 52,280 | 68.1% |
MB | 46001 | Brandon–Souris | 83,814 | 60,427 | 41,106 | 68.0% |
BC | 59036 | Vancouver Granville | 99,886 | 79,154 | 53,824 | 68.0% |
BC | 59024 | Prince George–Peace River–Northern Rockies | 107,382 | 76,312 | 51,859 | 68.0% |
ON | 35065 | Newmarket–Aurora | 109,457 | 83,108 | 56,464 | 67.9% |
ON | 35034 | Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock | 110,182 | 91,208 | 61,834 | 67.8% |
ON | 35082 | Parry Sound–Muskoka | 91,263 | 75,642 | 51,279 | 67.8% |
ON | 35033 | Haldimand–Norfolk | 108,051 | 82,621 | 55,990 | 67.8% |
QC | 24010 | Bellechasse–Les Etchemins–Lévis | 112,385 | 92,420 | 62,598 | 67.7% |
ON | 35099 | Simcoe–Grey | 116,307 | 97,145 | 65,747 | 67.7% |
SK | 47001 | Battlefords–Lloydminster | 70,034 | 49,763 | 33,678 | 67.7% |
ON | 35098 | Scarborough Southwest | 106,733 | 72,164 | 48,766 | 67.6% |
QC | 24050 | Montcalm | 97,261 | 78,489 | 53,009 | 67.5% |
QC | 24065 | Marc-Aurèle-Fortin | 99,629 | 80,787 | 54,525 | 67.5% |
QC | 24072 | Shefford | 107,988 | 87,299 | 58,920 | 67.5% |
AB | 48017 | Edmonton Mill Woods | 106,103 | 73,323 | 49,481 | 67.5% |
ON | 35069 | Nickel Belt | 90,962 | 72,828 | 49,113 | 67.4% |
ON | 35102 | Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry | 100,913 | 78,706 | 53,066 | 67.4% |
ON | 35063 | Mississauga–Streetsville | 118,757 | 83,122 | 55,999 | 67.4% |
AB | 48020 | Edmonton West | 104,422 | 79,446 | 53,457 | 67.3% |
ON | 35060 | Mississauga–Erin Mills | 117,199 | 82,348 | 55,347 | 67.2% |
ON | 35005 | Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte | 97,876 | 75,207 | 50,531 | 67.2% |
ON | 35104 | Thornhill | 110,427 | 81,106 | 54,491 | 67.2% |
BC | 59008 | Coquitlam–Port Coquitlam | 110,277 | 84,120 | 56,511 | 67.2% |
QC | 24063 | Rivière-du-Nord | 106,293 | 84,403 | 56,657 | 67.1% |
ON | 35105 | Thunder Bay–Rainy River | 82,984 | 62,773 | 42,083 | 67.0% |
QC | 24044 | Louis-Hébert | 106,888 | 92,119 | 61,744 | 67.0% |
QC | 24003 | Ahuntsic-Cartierville | 110,473 | 82,948 | 55,567 | 67.0% |
BC | 59034 | Vancouver Centre | 102,480 | 86,663 | 58,048 | 67.0% |
BC | 59035 | Vancouver East | 110,097 | 87,657 | 58,708 | 67.0% |
QC | 24056 | Pierrefonds–Dollard | 106,499 | 87,365 | 58,505 | 67.0% |
NL | 10007 | St. John's South–Mount Pearl | 81,944 | 66,936 | 44,801 | 66.9% |
AB | 48009 | Calgary Nose Hill | 109,286 | 81,582 | 54,562 | 66.9% |
ON | 35118 | York Centre | 100,277 | 64,297 | 42,944 | 66.8% |
ON | 35009 | Brampton East | 99,712 | 67,721 | 45,206 | 66.8% |
AB | 48031 | St. Albert–Edmonton | 111,541 | 88,876 | 59,208 | 66.6% |
ON | 35001 | Ajax | 109,600 | 84,584 | 56,307 | 66.6% |
AB | 48003 | Bow River | 103,871 | 75,146 | 49,988 | 66.5% |
BC | 59019 | New Westminster–Burnaby | 108,652 | 79,176 | 52,642 | 66.5% |
QC | 24039 | Laurier–Sainte-Marie | 103,053 | 82,297 | 54,681 | 66.4% |
ON | 35066 | Niagara Centre | 105,860 | 82,305 | 54,682 | 66.4% |
QC | 24009 | Bécancour–Nicolet–Saurel | 93,779 | 78,607 | 52,205 | 66.4% |
ON | 35019 | Don Valley East | 93,007 | 62,682 | 41,588 | 66.3% |
MB | 46007 | Portage–Lisgar | 91,019 | 62,153 | 41,187 | 66.3% |
AB | 48024 | Grande Prairie–Mackenzie | 106,738 | 80,511 | 53,343 | 66.3% |
ON | 35100 | Simcoe North | 108,672 | 86,208 | 57,071 | 66.2% |
QC | 24051 | Montmagny–L'Islet–Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup | 101,258 | 74,374 | 49,201 | 66.2% |
ON | 35047 | Kitchener South–Hespeler | 97,673 | 72,359 | 47,829 | 66.1% |
MB | 46005 | Elmwood–Transcona | 85,906 | 65,207 | 43,086 | 66.1% |
QC | 24032 | Jonquière | 87,596 | 72,802 | 48,103 | 66.1% |
ON | 35002 | Algoma–Manitoulin–Kapuskasing | 79,801 | 62,625 | 41,374 | 66.1% |
QC | 24020 | Beauport-Côte-de-Beaupré-Île d'Orléans-Charlevoix | 92,496 | 76,452 | 50,456 | 66.0% |
AB | 48027 | Medicine Hat–Cardston–Warner | 102,847 | 76,789 | 50,650 | 66.0% |
QC | 24031 | Joliette | 100,683 | 85,981 | 56,689 | 65.9% |
ON | 35026 | Essex | 120,477 | 91,816 | 60,531 | 65.9% |
SK | 47012 | Saskatoon West | 76,257 | 57,274 | 37,715 | 65.9% |
MB | 46004 | Dauphin–Swan River–Neepawa | 87,374 | 63,187 | 41,598 | 65.8% |
ON | 35037 | Hamilton Mountain | 103,615 | 76,886 | 50,554 | 65.8% |
QC | 24022 | Chicoutimi–Le Fjord | 81,501 | 66,639 | 43,805 | 65.7% |
ON | 35013 | Brantford–Brant | 132,443 | 96,290 | 63,272 | 65.7% |
AB | 48028 | Peace River–Westlock | 108,095 | 75,362 | 49,519 | 65.7% |
QC | 24012 | Berthier–Maskinongé | 98,590 | 82,803 | 54,406 | 65.7% |
ON | 35010 | Brampton North | 111,951 | 73,321 | 48,166 | 65.7% |
ON | 35017 | Chatham-Kent–Leamington | 111,866 | 79,160 | 51,971 | 65.7% |
BC | 59012 | Fleetwood–Port Kells | 109,742 | 74,286 | 48,763 | 65.6% |
ON | 35095 | Scarborough–Guildwood | 101,914 | 63,885 | 41,917 | 65.6% |
QC | 24029 | Honoré-Mercier | 102,587 | 78,744 | 51,658 | 65.6% |
ON | 35022 | Dufferin–Caledon | 116,341 | 92,461 | 60,451 | 65.4% |
QC | 24033 | La Pointe-de-l'Île | 103,512 | 84,507 | 55,226 | 65.4% |
QC | 24007 | Beauce | 106,337 | 85,547 | 55,882 | 65.3% |
QC | 24005 | Argenteuil–La Petite-Nation | 94,208 | 78,626 | 51,066 | 64.9% |
QC | 24062 | Rivière-des-Mille-Îles | 102,085 | 89,381 | 58,046 | 64.9% |
QC | 24040 | Laval–Les Îles | 104,895 | 83,719 | 54,205 | 64.7% |
ON | 35003 | Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill | 106,064 | 78,848 | 50,980 | 64.7% |
QC | 24035 | Lac-Saint-Jean | 108,795 | 85,727 | 55,279 | 64.5% |
NT | 61001 | Northwest Territories | 41,462 | 29,432 | 18,961 | 64.4% |
ON | 35043 | King–Vaughan | 109,235 | 84,925 | 54,686 | 64.4% |
QC | 24008 | Beauport–Limoilou | 92,944 | 78,530 | 50,558 | 64.4% |
ON | 35016 | Cambridge | 111,693 | 82,916 | 53,339 | 64.3% |
ON | 35004 | Barrie–Innisfil | 101,584 | 76,831 | 49,341 | 64.2% |
QC | 24018 | Rimouski-Neigette–Témiscouata–Les Basques | 84,809 | 70,079 | 44,946 | 64.1% |
QC | 24075 | Terrebonne | 108,774 | 90,900 | 58,284 | 64.1% |
ON | 35111 | Vaughan–Woodbridge | 105,450 | 73,924 | 47,298 | 64.0% |
QC | 24025 | Drummond | 98,681 | 81,303 | 51,979 | 63.9% |
QC | 24070 | Saint-Maurice–Champlain | 107,036 | 92,280 | 58,947 | 63.9% |
ON | 35051 | London–Fanshawe | 119,334 | 85,788 | 54,745 | 63.8% |
QC | 24024 | Dorval–Lachine–LaSalle | 106,886 | 85,587 | 54,605 | 63.8% |
ON | 35094 | Scarborough Centre | 108,826 | 70,594 | 45,029 | 63.8% |
BC | 59038 | Vancouver Kingsway | 102,003 | 71,206 | 45,396 | 63.8% |
MB | 46003 | Churchill–Keewatinook Aski | 85,148 | 49,036 | 31,254 | 63.7% |
QC | 24078 | Vimy | 105,783 | 85,337 | 54,343 | 63.7% |
BC | 59040 | Vancouver South | 100,966 | 70,062 | 44,611 | 63.7% |
ON | 35020 | Don Valley North | 103,073 | 71,812 | 45,687 | 63.6% |
ON | 35059 | Mississauga East–Cooksville | 121,792 | 81,736 | 51,917 | 63.5% |
ON | 35074 | Oshawa | 125,771 | 95,561 | 60,686 | 63.5% |
ON | 35119 | York–Simcoe | 94,616 | 75,570 | 47,879 | 63.4% |
QC | 24073 | Sherbrooke | 111,905 | 90,607 | 57,300 | 63.2% |
ON | 35067 | Niagara Falls | 128,357 | 102,602 | 64,711 | 63.1% |
ON | 35011 | Brampton South | 107,364 | 72,111 | 45,464 | 63.0% |
ON | 35058 | Mississauga Centre | 118,756 | 82,443 | 51,852 | 62.9% |
ON | 35036 | Hamilton East–Stoney Creek | 107,786 | 80,042 | 50,332 | 62.9% |
QC | 24028 | Hochelaga | 103,436 | 82,783 | 51,873 | 62.7% |
NL | 10004 | Labrador | 26,728 | 19,917 | 12,373 | 62.1% |
ON | 35120 | York South–Weston | 116,606 | 70,361 | 43,706 | 62.1% |
NL | 10001 | Avalon | 81,540 | 67,781 | 42,086 | 62.1% |
AB | 48023 | Fort McMurray–Cold Lake | 101,538 | 76,190 | 47,266 | 62.0% |
NV | 62001 | Nunavut | 31,906 | 19,223 | 11,910 | 62.0% |
ON | 35029 | Etobicoke North | 117,601 | 68,063 | 42,064 | 61.8% |
QC | 24066 | Saint-Hyacinthe–Bagot | 108,244 | 88,414 | 54,369 | 61.5% |
ON | 35116 | Windsor–Tecumseh | 115,528 | 86,864 | 53,344 | 61.4% |
ON | 35107 | Timmins–James Bay | 83,104 | 60,692 | 37,271 | 61.4% |
ON | 35012 | Brampton West | 101,762 | 70,734 | 43,398 | 61.4% |
ON | 35008 | Brampton Centre | 103,122 | 64,640 | 39,632 | 61.3% |
BC | 59032 | Surrey Centre | 111,486 | 70,493 | 43,198 | 61.3% |
AB | 48016 | Edmonton Manning | 106,262 | 80,111 | 49,001 | 61.2% |
ON | 35115 | Willowdale | 109,680 | 75,172 | 45,953 | 61.1% |
AB | 48013 | Calgary Skyview | 110,189 | 73,643 | 44,993 | 61.1% |
ON | 35087 | Richmond Hill | 108,658 | 80,402 | 49,113 | 61.1% |
BC | 59003 | Burnaby South | 105,037 | 75,263 | 45,887 | 61.0% |
MB | 46011 | Winnipeg Centre | 82,026 | 55,633 | 33,885 | 60.9% |
ON | 35055 | Markham–Thornhill | 102,221 | 70,484 | 42,857 | 60.8% |
ON | 35096 | Scarborough North | 101,080 | 64,827 | 39,188 | 60.5% |
BC | 59031 | Steveston–Richmond East | 96,610 | 71,526 | 43,225 | 60.4% |
ON | 35056 | Markham–Unionville | 104,693 | 82,534 | 49,839 | 60.4% |
QC | 24026 | Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine | 78,833 | 65,623 | 39,617 | 60.4% |
QC | 24052 | Mount Royal | 104,410 | 79,597 | 48,051 | 60.4% |
ON | 35035 | Hamilton Centre | 101,932 | 68,087 | 41,083 | 60.3% |
QC | 24002 | Abitibi–Témiscamingue | 102,794 | 82,839 | 49,729 | 60.0% |
AB | 48015 | Edmonton Griesbach | 107,809 | 79,980 | 47,942 | 59.9% |
QC | 24006 | Avignon–La Mitis–Matane–Matapédia | 74,547 | 60,801 | 36,356 | 59.8% |
QC | 24055 | Papineau | 108,740 | 85,216 | 50,770 | 59.6% |
ON | 35093 | Scarborough–Agincourt | 104,499 | 69,888 | 41,556 | 59.5% |
ON | 35062 | Mississauga–Malton | 118,046 | 74,448 | 44,256 | 59.4% |
QC | 24041 | Longueuil–Charles-LeMoyne | 107,593 | 87,103 | 51,707 | 59.4% |
MB | 46012 | Winnipeg North | 88,616 | 57,627 | 33,964 | 58.9% |
NL | 10005 | Long Range Mountains | 87,592 | 71,037 | 41,824 | 58.9% |
QC | 24046 | Manicouagan | 88,745 | 71,469 | 42,030 | 58.8% |
ON | 35121 | Humber River–Black Creek | 108,198 | 60,994 | 35,859 | 58.8% |
QC | 24059 | Québec | 111,191 | 91,986 | 53,867 | 58.6% |
QC | 24077 | Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Soeurs | 104,373 | 85,889 | 50,164 | 58.4% |
QC | 24015 | Bourassa | 100,286 | 70,815 | 41,129 | 58.1% |
BC | 59025 | Richmond Centre | 93,863 | 68,991 | 39,862 | 57.8% |
NL | 10002 | Bonavista–Burin–Trinity | 76,704 | 61,475 | 35,092 | 57.1% |
QC | 24037 | LaSalle–Émard–Verdun | 111,357 | 96,737 | 53,763 | 55.6% |
NL | 10003 | Coast of Bays–Central–Notre Dame | 78,092 | 63,891 | 35,448 | 55.5% |
QC | 24054 | Outremont | 108,977 | 78,649 | 43,619 | 55.5% |
ON | 35117 | Windsor West | 118,973 | 84,699 | 46,905 | 55.4% |
AB | 48006 | Calgary Forest Lawn | 108,251 | 74,620 | 41,047 | 55.0% |
QC | 24001 | Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou | 85,475 | 63,226 | 34,518 | 54.6% |
QC | 24047 | Mégantic–L'Érable | 103,536 | 87,622 | 47,287 | 54.0% |
QC | 24068 | Saint-Laurent | 110,649 | 76,531 | 40,330 | 52.7% |
QC | 24069 | Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel | 110,273 | 92,086 | 44,531 | 48.4% |
Elections Canada does not provide a table with the participation rates by riding. Instead, I have scraped the population and electors figures from their election-night web site. If you would like to use the data for your own research, I am providing the 2015 Federal Election Participation Data on this web site as a CSV file.