Lowering The Voting Age: Election Fatigue

Carleton University Dept: Myriad factors have been cited for Canada’s diminishing voter participation, from detached politicians to youth disinterest and election fatigue this is the fifth federal campaign since 2000 . Myriad solutions have also been proposed, including compulsory voting and greater elections outreach in schools and immigrant communities, according to Globe And Mail. Dr. Pammett says lowering the voting age to 16 might help because it would give first-time voters the benefit of school and parental guidance. Former elections chief Jean-Pierre Kingsley expects online voting will eventually become a reality, potentially spurring more people to participate and university of Toronto political scientist Lawrence LeDuc , a leading scholar on the demographic factors affecting voter participation, has crunched the numbers. He estimates turnout could reach a new low: 57 per cent, unless the political race tightens in the waning days. And he notes it could take another 20 years or so before turnout stops dropping and flattens out, because the decline is part of a generational trend that began in the early 1990s. “There’s no quick fix,” said Carleton University political scientist Jon Pammett , an expert on voter turnout. As reported in the news.
@t globe and mail, lawrence leduc