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Harper Government Introduces The Increasing Voter Participation Act
(Ottawa) The Hon. Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Democratic Reform), today with the Hon. Josée Verner, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister for La Francophonie, moved ahead with the Government of Canada’s 2010 Throne Speech commitment to increase voter participation by giving Canadians more chances to vote during federal elections. “Increasing the number of advance polling days means giving Canadians more opportunities to vote and will help to increase voter participation,” said Minister Fletcher. “That is why our Government is improving Canada’s democracy by adding two additional voting days for voters.” The Increasing Voter Participation Act, introduced today, adds two new advance polling days to the campaign period. The first additional day would be on the Sunday eight days before election day and the second would be on the Sunday immediately before election day. More importantly, all 65,000 regular polls will be open on the Sunday before election day. This will maximize the opportunity for Canadians to vote at advance polls in their own neighbourhood and will be particularly helpful for Canadians living in rural areas who often must travel long distances to vote. “Voter participation in the political process is the cornerstone of our democracy,” added Minister Verner. “Our Government believes it is important to encourage citizens to participate in the democratic process.”
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