As the nation gears up for its next federal election this October, a majority of British Columbians believe the best way to get all eligible voters involved is to make voting mandatory.

Roughly 57 per cent of those surveyed in a recent Research Co. poll said they favour mandatory polling, while 33 per cent disagreed and seven per cent said theyB次元官网网址檙e undecided on the issue.

Among those who supported the idea, Generation X and Baby Boomers were most likely to agree, at 61 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively. ThatB次元官网网址檚 compared t 49 per cent of millennials, or those aged 18 to 34, who agreed with compulsory voting.

Mandatory voting has been an idea debated for decades as a way to increase voter turnout. of Canadians stopped by a polling booth in the 2015 federal election.

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Twenty-two countries enforce compulsory voting, including Australia, Brazil and North Korea.

Exactly what sparks a higher voter turnout B次元官网网址� a favoured government or an interest in turnover B次元官网网址� has also been long debated, but the Research Co. poll may offer some insight into where British Columbians stand ahead of the election.

Across the province, 72 per cent of the 800 British Columbians surveyed believe B次元官网网址渕ost federal politicians have to follow the party line and have little to no autonomyB次元官网网址�, a proportion that rises to 84 per cent among residents aged 55 and over.

Fifty-eight per cent feel that B次元官网网址渢here is currently no federal political party that truly represents my viewsB次元官网网址�.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent believe that B次元官网网址渕ost federal politicians are trying to do the right thing.B次元官网网址� That number dips to 27 per cent among millennials.

Only 24 per cent surveyed said they believe federal politicians actually care about what happens to B次元官网网址減eople like meB次元官网网址�.

The exact date for the federal election has not been announced, but Elections Canada estimates it will be Oct. 21.

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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