Posts Tagged ‘Globalnews.ca’

“Higher voter turnouts strengthen democracy.” ~ Doc Meek

Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Today I am grateful that 61% of Canadian voters turned out to vote. We need the historic highs of 79% to better serve democracy I think. ~ Doc Meek

The Right Honourable
John Diefenbaker
PC, CH, QC
Half-length photo portrait of a man aged about 60. He has a square face, strong jaw, firm lips and piercing pale-coloured eyes under thick arched eyebrows. His full head of curly hair is streaked with grey, cut short and combed back smoothly with hair oil. He wears a neat suit and tie, and holds a document, looking at the camera with a penetrating stare.

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Diefenbaker

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Election voter turnout higher than 2008, but near historic lows
By Patrick Cain, Globalnews.ca: Tuesday, May 3, 2011 10:36 AM
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TORONTO – About 61 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots last night, a total roughly in line with Canada’s four other 21st-century elections.
The total was higher than in the 2008 election, in which a record low of 58.8 per cent of eligible voters showed up at the polls.
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Voter turnout has been falling generally in every election since 1979 [Trudeau’s interregnum year when Joe Clark was Prime Minister for a few months]. Before the 1972 election, turnout often reached 79 per cent.
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The 1958 election that brought John Diefenbaker to power had the nation’s highest-ever turnout, at 79.4 per cent.
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Thank you, Patrick Cain and Globalnews.ca, for so succinctly summing up the “voter turnout” issue!
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Doc Meek, Tuesday, May 3, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA