RESPONDENT IDENTIFICATION

Table 1: Provinces/Territories

Province/Territory	Count	Percentage of respondents (%)	Percentage of the Canadian population (%)[1]
Alberta	3199	14.4	11.7
British Columbia	5933	26.7	13.1
Manitoba	744	3.3	3.6
Nova Scotia	567	2.5	2.6
New Brunswick	325	1.5	2.1
Newfoundland and Labrador	115	0.5	1.5
Ontario	8615	38.7	38.5
Prince Edward Island	83	0.4	0.4
Quebec	1676	7.5	22.9
Saskatchewan	668	3.0	3.2
Northwest Territories	37	0.2	0.1
Nunavut	5	0.0	0.1
Yukon	120	0.5	0.1
Currently living abroad	161	0.7	N/A

Table 2: Gender

Gender	Count	Percentage of respondents (%)	Percentage of the Canadian population (%)[2]
Female	7281	32.7	51.4
Male	14580	65.5	49.6
Transgender	88	0.4	N/A
Other/Not specified	299	1.3	N/A

Figure 1: Gender

Table 3: Age Group

Age Group	Count	Percentage of respondents (%)	Percentage of the Canadian population (%)[3]
17 and under	188	0.8	N/A
18-24	1379	6.2	N/A
25-34	4229	19	13.9
35-44	3156	14.2	13.3
45-54	2830	12.7	14.2
55-64	4242	19.1	13.6
65-74	4652	20.9	9.2
75 and over	1572	7.1	7.2

Figure 2: Age Group

Table 4: Primary official language

Official language	Count	Percentage of respondents (%)
English	19786	88.9
French	1072	4.8
Bilingual	1390	6.2

Figure 3: Primary official language (%)

Table 5: Unique status

Status	Count	Percentage of respondents (%)	Percentage of the Canadian population (%)
Indigenous	706	3.2	4.3[4]
Individual with a disability	1441	6.5	13.7[5]
New Canadian	784	3.5	N/A
A resident of a rural of remote community	3787	17.0	19.0[6]
Not answered	15952	71.7	N/A

Table 6: Canadian Citizenship

Citizenship	Count	Percent answer (%)
Yes	22108	99.4
No	140	0.6

Table 7: Did you vote in the last federal election?

Vote	Count	Percent answer of respondents (%)	Percentage of Eligible Voters, 42nd General Election (October 2015) (%)[7]
Yes	21355	96.0	68.0
No	893	4.0	32.0

YOUR VOTE

Table 8: Did you vote in federal elections?

Frequency of voting	Count	Percent answer (%)
On every occasion that I have been eligible to vote	20921	95.4
Sometimes	906	4.1
No	94	0.4

Table 9: When you vote, do you feel that your vote “counts”?

Answer	Count	Percent answer (%)
Yes	11425	52.3
No	10402	47.7

Figure 4: When you vote, do you feel that your vote “counts”?

Table 10: When you have voted, what motivated you to cast your ballot?

Source of motivation	Count
Civic duty	17216
Support for a local candidate	11288
Support for a party policy/platform	16403
Opposition to party policy/platform	11948
Support for a political party	11765
Opposition to a political party	10387
Support for a political party leader	9855
Opposition to a political party leader	10198
Other	1037

Figure 5: When you have voted, what motivated you to cast your ballot?

Table 11: When you have not voted, what has been the reason?

Reason	Count
Lack of time / Other responsibilities	249
Did not know where to vote	57
Unable to access polling station because of physical barriers	30
Unable to access polling station because of distant barriers	72
Unable to access polling station because of lack of transportation	34
Not aware that it was election day	38
Not interested	185
Felt that my vote would not count / would not impact the outcome	516
Did not support any candidates running in my riding	297
Unable to register to vote and/or provide sufficient identification and/or proof of address	60
Lack of confidence in candidates and / or parties and/or leaders	468
Other	219

Figure 6: When you have not voted, what has been the reason?

GOALS OF A VOTING SYSTEM

Table 12: How important are each of the following elements to you? Scale: 1 (Not important) – 5 (Very important)

Elements	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5
To know your local representative	877 (3.9%)	1747 (7.9%)	4984 (22.4%)	6743 (30.3%)	7897 (35.5%)
To be affiliated with a political party	5384 (24.2%)	4382 (19.7%)	5817 (26.1%)	3515 (15.8%)	3150 (14.2%)
To be aware of political party platforms	122 (0.5%)	125 (0.6%)	725 (3.3%)	4005 (18.0%)	17271 (77.6%)

Figure 7: How important is it for you to know your local representative? Scale: 1 (Not important) – 5 (Very important)

Figure 8: How important is it for you to be affiliated with a political party? Scale: 1 (Not important) – 5 (Very important)

Figure 9: How important is it for you to be aware of political party platforms Scale: 1 (Not important) – 5 (Very important)

Table 13: One political party should hold a majority of seats in Parliament Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Canada's electoral system should favour the following outcome: one political party holds a majority of seats in Parliament and is able to implement its campaign platform	7166 (32.3%)	4073 (18.3%)	3751 (16.9%)	2630 (11.8%)	3999 (18.0%)	629 (2.8%)

Figure 10: One political party should hold a majority of seats in Parliament Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 14: No single political party should hold the majority of seats in Parliament, increasing the likelihood of political parties working together to pass legislation Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Canada's electoral system should favour the following outcome: no single political party holds the majority of seats in Parliament, thereby increasing the likelihood that political parties will work together to pass legislation	3907 (17.6%)	2257 (10.1%)	3348 (15.0%)	4820 (21.7%)	7067 (31.8%)	849 (3.8%)

Figure 11: No single political party should hold the majority of seats in Parliament, increasing the likelihood of political parties working together to pass legislation Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 15: Voters should elect local candidates to represent them in Parliament Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Canada's electoral system should ensure that voters elect local candidates to represent them in Parliament	636 (2.9%)	1117 (5.0%)	3516 (15.8%)	5323 (23.9%)	10808 (48.6%)	848 (3.8%)

Figure 12: Voters should elect local candidates to represent them in Parliament Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 16: Number of seats held by a party in Parliament should reflect the proportion of votes it received across the country Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Canada's electoral system should ensure that the number of seats held by a party in Parliament reflects the proportion of votes it received across the country	2647 (11.9%)	1127 (5.1%)	1483 (6.7%)	2764 (12.4%)	13147 (59.1%)	1082 (4.9%)

Figure 13: Number of seats held by a party in Parliament should reflect the proportion of votes it received across the country Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 17: Independent candidates should be able to be elected to Parliament Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Independent candidates (not part of a political party) should be able to be elected to Parliament	1075 (4.8%)	692 (3.1%)	2101 (9.4%)	3792 (17.0%)	13420 (60.3%)	1168 (5.2%)

Figure 14: Independent candidates should be able to be elected to Parliament Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

CURRENT ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Table 18: The current electoral system adequately reflects voters’ intentions Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
The current electoral system adequately reflects voters' intentions	10075 (45.3%)	4416 (19.8%)	1796 (8.1%)	1594 (7.2%)	4093 (18.4%)	274 (1.2%)

Figure 15: The current electoral system adequately reflects voters’ intentions Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 19: If I vote for a candidate in my riding who does not win, my vote is wasted Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
If I vote for a candidate in my riding who does not win, my vote is wasted	6249 (28.1%)	2884 (13.0%)	2885 (13.0%)	3323 (14.9%)	6502 (29.2%)	405 (1.8%)

Figure 16: If I vote for a candidate in my riding who does not win, my vote is wasted Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 20: The current electoral system should be maintained Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
The current electoral system should be maintained	12773 (57.4%)	2398 (10.8%)	979 (4.4%)	778 (3.5%)	4829 (21.7%)	491 (2.2%)

Figure 17: The current electoral system should be maintained Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 21: The current electoral system should be changed Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
The current electoral system should be changed	4599 (20.7%)	670 (3.0%)	623 (2.8%)	1842 (8.3%)	13793 (62.0%)	721 (3.2%)

Figure 18: The current electoral system should be changed Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

PLURALITY OR MAJORITY SYSTEMS

Table 22: Seats in the House of Commons should be filled by the candidates who receive the most votes Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Seats in the House of Commons should be filled by the candidates who receive the most votes in their ridings even if they receive less than 50% of the total votes cast	7591 (34.1%)	3907 (17.6%)	2186 (9.8%)	1914 (8.6%)	5768 (25.9%)	881 (4.0%)

Figure 19: Seats in the House of Commons should be filled by the candidates who receive the most votes Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 23: In order be elected in a riding, a candidate should have to obtain more than half of the votes cast Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
In order be elected in a riding, a candidate should have to obtain more than half of the votes cast	5421 (24.4%)	2142 (9.6%)	2957 (13.3%)	4791 (21.5%)	5861 (26.3%)	1076 (4.8%)

Figure 20: In order be elected in a riding, a candidate should have to obtain more than half of the votes cast Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 24: Voters should be able to rank the candidates and have the outcome determined based on preferences Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
For a candidate to obtain a majority of votes in one round of voting, voters should be able to rank candidates on the ballot and have the outcome determined based on a tally of preferences	6075 (27.3%)	1529 (6.9%)	2502 (11.2%)	4836 (21.7%)	6183 (27.8%)	1123 (5.0%)

Figure 21: Voters should be able to rank the candidates and have the outcome determined based on preferences Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 25: A second round should take place between the top two if no candidate obtains more than half the votes cast Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Alternatively, a second round of voting should take place between the top two candidates to determine the victor if no candidate obtains more than half the votes cast during a first round of voting	8561 (38.5%)	3111 (14.0%)	2820 (12.7%)	3083 (13.9%)	3445 (15.5%)	1228 (5.5%)

Figure 22: A second round should take place between the top two if no candidate obtains more than half the votes cast Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION SYSTEMS

Table 26: Voters should vote for political parties and the seats should be allocated based on percentage of votes Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Voters should vote for political parties (not specific candidates) and the seats should be allocated based on the percentage of votes obtained by each political party	8285 (37.2%)	3280 (14.7%)	3088 (13.9%)	3070 (13.8%)	3823 (17.2%)	703 (3.2%)

Figure 23: Voters should vote for political parties and the seats should be allocated based on percentage of votes Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 27: Political parties should determine which of their candidates get elected from their list Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Political parties should determine which of their candidates get elected from their list	11029 (49.6%)	4553 (20.5%)	3189 (14.3%)	1396 (6.3%)	1071 (4.8%)	1011 (4.5%)

Figure 24: Political parties should determine which of their candidates get elected from their list Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 28: Voters should determine which candidates get elected from a party’s list Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Voters should determine which candidates get elected from a party's list and the seats in the House of Commons should be allocated based on the percentage of votes obtained by each political party	4474 (20.1%)	1217 (5.5%)	2325 (10.4%)	4889 (22.0%)	8365 (37.6%)	979 (4.4%)

Figure 25: Voters should determine which candidates get elected from a party’s list Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 29: Canada’s electoral system should produce a proportional Parliament through the direct election of local representatives in multi-member districts Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Canada's electoral system should produce a proportional Parliament (where seats roughly match the parties' vote  share) through the direct election of local representatives in multi-member electoral districts	5357 (24.1%)	1472 (6.6%)	2386 (10.7%)	4461 (20.1%)	6973 (31.3%)	1600 (7.2%)

Figure 26: Canada’s electoral system should produce a proportional Parliament through the direct election of local representatives in multi-member districts Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

MIXED ELECTORAL SYSTEMS

Table 30: Voters should cast two votes on their ballots: one for a candidate and one for a party Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Voters should cast two votes on their ballots: one to directly elect a member to serve as their representative, and a second for a party or parties to fill seats in the House of Commons based on the vote share they receive	5986 (26.9%)	1784 (8.0%)	2722 (12.2%)	4142 (18.6%)	6372 (28.6%)	1243 (5.6%)

Figure 27: Voters should cast two votes on their ballots: one for a candidate and one for a party Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 31: Seats should be allocated in proportion to the percentage of votes received by each political party Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Seats in the House of Commons should be allocated in proportion to the percentage of votes received by each political party	4889 (22.0%)	1209 (5.4%)	1997 (9.0%)	3904 (17.5%)	9499 (42.7%)	751 (3.4%)

Figure 28: Seats should be allocated in proportion to the percentage of votes received by each political party Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

MANDATORY OR COMPULSORY VOTING

Table 32: Canadians should be required to cast a ballot in a federal election Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Canadians should be required to cast a ballot in a federal election. (This could include spoiling a ballot.)	6231 (28.0%)	1846 (8.3%)	2137 (9.6%)	3144 (14.1%)	8064 (36.2%)	826 (3.7%)

Figure 29: Canadians should be required to cast a ballot in a federal election Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 33: Canadians should be penalized for failing to cast a ballot in a federal election Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Canadians should be fined or receive some other penalty for failing to cast a ballot in a federal election without acceptable justification (e.g. illness, absence).	9564 (43.0%)	2628 (11.8%)	2544 (11.4%)	2171 (9.8%)	4361 (19.6%)	980 (4.4%)

Figure 30: Canadians should be penalized for failing to cast a ballot in a federal election Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 34: Incentives should be put in place to encourage Canadians to cast a ballot Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Incentives should be put in place to encourage Canadians to cast a ballot in a federal election	5118 (23.0%)	1235 (5.6%)	2324 (10.4%)	3457 (15.5%)	9316 (41.9%)	798 (3.6%)

Figure 31: Incentives should be put in place to encourage Canadians to cast a ballot Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

ONLINE VOTING

Table 35: Canadians should be able to vote online in a federal election Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Canadians should be able to vote online in a federal election	5955 (26.8%)	1626 (7.3%)	2567 (11.5%)	3081 (13.8%)	7294 (32.8%)	1725 (7.8%)

Figure 32: Canadians should be able to vote online in a federal election Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 36: There is a public good or value associated with voting in person Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
There is a public good or value associated with voting in person	2015 (9.1%)	1920 (8.6%)	3841 (17.3%)	4278 (19.2%)	9307 (41.8%)	887 (4.0%)

Figure 33: There is a public good or value associated with voting in person Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 37: I am concerned about the security and reliability of online voting Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
I am concerned about the security and reliability of online voting	2298 (10.3%)	1812 (8.1%)	2464 (11.1%)	3936 (17.7%)	11369 (51.1%)	369 (1.7%)

Figure 34: I am concerned about the security and reliability of online voting Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 38: Online voting should only be considered as an alternative for people unable to vote in person on election day Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Online voting should only be considered as an alternative for people unable to vote in person on election day	5844 (26.3%)	2888 (13.0%)	3480 (15.6%)	3413 (15.3%)	5116 (23.0%)	1507 (6.8%)

Figure 35: Online voting should only be considered as an alternative for people unable to vote in person on election day Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

MOVING FORWARD ON ELECTORAL SYSTEM REFORM

Table 39: Any plans for a future Canadian electoral system should be determined by a majority of members of Parliament Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Any plans for a future Canadian electoral system should be determined by a majority of members of Parliament	7540 (33.9%)	1991 (8.9%)	2862 (12.9%)	3507 (15.8%)	5551 (25.0%)	796 (3.6%)

Figure 36: Any plans for a future Canadian electoral system should be determined by a majority of members of Parliament Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 40: Any plans for a future Canadian electoral system should require broad public support Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Any plans for a future Canadian electoral system should require broad public support, in addition to parliamentary approval	1585 (7.1%)	1398 (6.3%)	2656 (11.9%)	3838 (17.3%)	12239 (55.0%)	531 (2.4%)

Figure 37: Any plans for a future Canadian electoral system should require broad public support Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 41: Broad public support should be gauged through in-person and online consultation Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Broad public support should be gauged through in-person and online consultation with Canadians representative of Canadian society (demographically and geographically)	4422 (19.9%)	1355 (6.1%)	3080 (13.8%)	5480 (24.6%)	7104 (31.9%)	806 (3.6%)

Figure 38: Broad public support should be gauged through in-person and online consultation Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 42: Broad public support should be gauged through the creation of a citizens’ assembly Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Broad public support should be gauged through the creation of a citizens' assembly. (A citizens' assembly is a body formed from a cross-section of the public, randomly selected and representative of Canadian society [demographically and geographically], to study the options available on an issue or issues of national importance.)	6173 (27.7%)	2642 (11.9%)	4204 (18.9%)	4240 (19.1%)	3844 (17.3%)	1144 (5.1%)

Figure 39: Broad public support should be gauged through the creation of a citizens’ assembly Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Table 43: Broad public support should be gauged through a direct vote by Canadians Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Statement	Count and percent answers
	1	2	3	4	5	NA
Broad public support should be gauged through a direct vote by Canadians on an option or various options for a future Canadian electoral (through a plebiscite or referendum)	5566 (25.0%)	1896 (8.5%)	1814 (8.2%)	2413 (10.8%)	9776 (43.9%)	782 (3.5%)

Figure 40: Broad public support should be gauged through a direct vote by Canadians Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) – 5 (Strongly Agree); NA

Distribution of E-Consultation Responses

Sources:    Map prepared by Library of Parliament using data from the House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform.  E-Consultation on Electoral Reform.  Ottawa, October 2016; Natural Resources Canada.  Place Names.  In: Atlas of Canada National Scale Data 1:15,000,000 Series. Ottawa: Natural Resources Canada , 2014;  Statistics Canada.  Forward Sortation Area Boundary File, 2011 Census.  Ottawa:  Statistics Canada, 2013. The following software was used: Esri, ArcGIS, version 10.3.1. Contains information licensed under Open Government Licence – Canada.