VOTING RULES
GRADE 10 TOOL KIT in ACCESSIBLE FORMAT
DEAR EDUCATORS,
Thank you very much for choosing our new civics toolkit, Voting Rules! We hope that
this guide will make it easy for you to deliver engaging and memorable lessons to the
students of Ontario.
We believe that civic education is an essential component in building and maintaining a
healthy and vibrant democracy. We recognize that your role is critical in bringing
relevance and awareness of our parliamentary and democratic institutions to students –
the voters of tomorrow.
While voting itself is an easy thing to do, the challenge for many lies in understanding
both how the voting process works and why it matters. For this reason, Elections
Ontario and Elections Canada have worked together to produce a new set of
curriculum-based tools for teachers of civics in Ontario. Our objective was twofold: to
develop a program that you and your students would find accessible, engaging and
easy to use, and to ensure the program represented education “best practices” to
address the needs of different learner types.
We understand that today’s teachers face numerous challenges in teaching about civics
and voting: few available resources, limited lesson prep time and an audience that, at
this stage of their lives, may not be interested in the topic. For this reason, we
developed a module-based program that features dialogue-driven lesson plans,
engaging activities and clear, accurate information specific to voting in Ontario and
Canada in an exciting new format. Our hope is that civic education can help students
acquire the “learned habit” of voting early in their lives.
The future of democracy does not rest solely on the shoulders of civics teachers; we all
play an important role in modeling positive civic engagement for this generation of
future voters. As leaders of Ontario’s and Canada’s electoral agencies, we want to
work with you to help students understand how their government represents them,
better appreciate the privileges and responsibilities of living in a strong democratic
society and ultimately believe that “Voting Rules!”
If you have any comments, please feel free to contact us. Your feedback is important to
us.
Sincerely,
Greg Essensa, Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario.
Marc Mayrand, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada.
Ces ressources sont disponibles en français.
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VOTING RULES! GRADE 10 TOOLKIT
AN INTRODUCTION TO VOTING FOR ONTARIO GRADE 10 CIVICS
ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT .............................................................................................................. 4
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 4
LESSON 1: OVERVIEW OF DEMOCRACY AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL MODELS
......................................................................................................................................................... 6
BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 6
LESSON PLAN: A Comparison of Democracy and Other Governmental Models ........ 7
Handout #1—Democracy and Other Forms of Government ........................................... 11
LESSON 2: INTRODUCTION TO GOVERNMENT .............................................................. 13
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 13
LESSON PLAN: Introduction to the Concept and Practice of Government.................. 14
LESSON PLAN 3: POLITICAL PARTIES .............................................................................. 20
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 20
LESSON PLAN: Political Parties ......................................................................................... 21
LESSON 4: OVERVIEW OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE PREMIER ................... 26
BACKGROUND: The Prime Minister .................................................................................. 26
The Provinces/Territories and the Premier ........................................................................ 26
LESSON PLAN : The Offices of the Prime Minister and Premier .................................. 27
Handout #1—Prime Ministers of Canada Word Search ...................................................... 31
LESSON 5: ELECTORAL DISTRICTS;MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND MEMBERS
OF PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT ............................................................................................. 32
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 32
LESSON PLAN: An Overview of Electoral Districts, Members of Parliament, and
Members of Provincial Parliament ....................................................................................... 33
Handout #1—Three Levels of Government ....................................................................... 36
LESSON 6: YOUR VOTE HAS POWER................................................................................ 38
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 38
LESSON PLAN: Your Vote Has Power .............................................................................. 39
Handout #1—MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF VOTING IN CANADA ................. 42
HANDOUT #2 - Voter Turnout at Ontario General Elections .......................................... 46
HANDOUT #3 - Percentage of Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums
by Province and Territory ...................................................................................................... 52
HANDOUT #4 - Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums, 1867–2008.. 65
LESSON 7: VOTING, VALUES, AND REPRESENTATION ............................................... 71
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 71
LESSON PLAN ....................................................................................................................... 72
Handout #1—Electoral District Issues and Values ........................................................... 75
LESSON 8: POLITICAL CANDIDATES: CITIZENS REPRESENTING CITIZENS ........ 77
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 77
LESSON PLAN ....................................................................................................................... 78
LESSON 9: TIME TO DECIDE: ELECTION SIMULATION ............................................... 81
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 81
LESSON PLAN ....................................................................................................................... 82
LESSON 1 QUIZ—Multiple Choice ......................................................................................... 87
LESSON 2 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks ...................................................................................... 89
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LESSON 3 QUIZ—True/False ................................................................................................. 90
LESSON 4 QUIZ—Multiple Choice ......................................................................................... 91
LESSON 5 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks ...................................................................................... 93
LESSON 6 QUIZ—True/False ................................................................................................. 94
LESSON 7 QUIZ—Multiple Choice ......................................................................................... 95
LESSON 8 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks ...................................................................................... 97
LESSON 9 QUIZ ........................................................................................................................ 98
Answer Key ............................................................................................................................... 100
LESSON 1 QUIZ—Multiple Choice ................................................................................... 100
LESSON 2 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks ................................................................................ 100
LESSON 3 QUIZ—True/False ........................................................................................... 100
LESSON 4 QUIZ—Multiple Choice ................................................................................... 100
LESSON 5 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks ................................................................................ 101
LESSON 6 QUIZ—True/False ........................................................................................... 101
LESSON 7 QUIZ—Multiple Choice ................................................................................... 101
LESSON 8 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks ................................................................................ 101
LESSON 9 QUIZ .................................................................................................................. 102
Glossary ..................................................................................................................................... 104
RUNNING AN ELECTION!: NOTICE OF REGISTRATION CARD ................................. 107
WHAT TO DO ....................................................................................................................... 107
RUNNING AN ELECTION!: BALLOT ................................................................................... 107
WHAT TO DO ....................................................................................................................... 107
RUNNING AN ELECTION!: VOTING SCREEN.................................................................. 108
WHAT TO DO ....................................................................................................................... 108
RUNNING AN ELECTION!: BALLOT BOX .......................................................................... 108
WHAT TO DO ....................................................................................................................... 108
RUNNING AN ELECTION!: VOTERS LIST ......................................................................... 109
VOTERS LIST....................................................................................................................... 109
Glossary ..................................................................................................................................... 110
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ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT
INTRODUCTION
As Canadians, we live in a democratic country where the participation of citizens
in our governmental and electoral processes has gained us significant rights
within our society. Our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees us
fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of expression, belief, thought,
religion, the press, assembly, association and conscience, as well as mobility
rights, equality rights, democratic rights, and language rights. Indeed, we have
used our democratic rights and the power of voting to develop a thriving and
dynamic democratic system in which the political, governmental and electoral
systems are open, accessible, transparent, and founded on integrity.
However, voting in Ontario, and indeed in Canada, is at a crossroads. Overall voter
turnout rates are in decline. Fifty years ago, nearly 80 per cent—four out of five—eligible
voters cast their ballot in federal elections. Now that number hovers around 60 per cent
or three out of five. The percentage of eligible voters who actually cast their ballot in the
Ontario 2007 provincial election hit an all-time record low of 52.6 per cent. Despite
numerous changes instituted to boost declining voter turnout rates, four million out of
8.4 million eligible voters declined to exercise the most basic of democratic rights. This
trend is not exclusive to Canada. Most Western democracies have seen similar declines
in participation.
When the youth vote is examined, the picture is of even more concern. Often, the
turnout rate for first-time voters at both the federal and provincial levels is less than 40
per cent. If the situation is not addressed we could someday find ourselves in a situation
in which more people decline to vote than exercise their franchise.
Democracy is not defined only by the right to vote. The right to assemble, secret ballot,
freedom of the press and many other things are essential to a free society. However,
Elections Ontario puts the matter simply and powerfully on its website: “One of the
greatest rights any free people can have is the right to vote. This right is at the core of
our democracy.” To function effectively, democracy requires a knowledgeable and
active citizenry.
In order to help address the decline in youth voter participation, more than a decade
ago, a mandatory, half-credit, open level Grade 10 Civics course was introduced in
Ontario secondary schools. Teachers of the course were charged with the responsibility
of teaching the three identified strands of citizenship—informed, purposeful, and active
and to encourage students to become both knowledgeable and involved in the political
process.
In recent years, other reforms have been introduced in Ontario to encourage a greater
voter turnout. In 2005, Bill 214 introduced fixed date elections. In 2007, Bill 218
extended both the hours for voting on Election Day and the number of days for advance
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polls. Legislative reforms such as these in Ontario and many other initiatives have been
tried in jurisdictions across Canada and around the world to promote electoral
participation. However, these changes have not really significantly improved the
situation, a fact underscored by the lowest ever voter turnout in the provincial election of
October 2007 (52.6 per cent).
That is precisely where this resource, Voting Rules! comes in. When something 'rules' it
means it's important and beneficial, bordering on essential and fabulous. Voting Rules!
aims to engage, educate, and enlighten students about the democratic process in
general and more specifically, the essential role played by voting. In a series of activities
and questions contained in nine guided lessons, students will learn how the political
system works and more importantly, how they can impact the system. The lessons are
organized sequentially and each is tied to a specific expectation of the Ontario Civics
curriculum. Our goal is to be consistently interesting, relevant, informative, and fun.
Through Voting Rules! we hope to inculcate a mindset that voting is not only important,
but essential to the working of a vibrant and dynamic democracy. As Winston Churchill
so eloquently said in 1947, “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise.
Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all
those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Alexis de Tocqueville, a
perceptive observer of American democracy a century earlier, sagely noted, “In a
democracy, the people get the government they deserve.” It is our fervent hope that
Voting Rules! will help produce the kind of knowledgeable, informed, and active young
voters, who will help to ensure that democracy in Ontario and Canada will be a model
for all.
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LESSON 1: OVERVIEW OF DEMOCRACY AND OTHER
GOVERNMENTAL MODELS
BACKGROUND
Currently and historically, there is a full spectrum of different governmental
systems. Roughly speaking, these systems can be distinguished by the number
of people who have access to power. At one end are authoritarian regimes in
which a single individual, often called a dictator has most if not all power. Quite
often the dictator seizes power through a coup and has the backing of that
country’s military. At the other end of the spectrum are democratic systems in
which the people have both access to power and a number of important
guaranteed rights. In between is a range of hybrid regimes. Historically, hybrids
were referred to as oligarchic systems in which a few people held the power.
Ancient Athens, 25 centuries ago, is regarded as “the birthplace of democracy”. Its
citizens met on the Pnyx, a plateau of land that rose out of the centre of the city, and
decided as a group on the issues of the day. The Roman Empire witnessed mostly
dictatorial systems of government under a series of emperors. During the latter half of
the Roman Empire, the Senate began to emerge and compete for power with the
emperors. Oligarchies were societies in which the few people who were wealthy ruled
the country. A more recent Canadian example would be the Family Compact and
Château Clique groups that dominated the economic and political life of their respective
pre-Rebellion colonies in Upper and Lower Canada (late 1700s to 1830s). Theocracies
witnessed religious leaders transferring their spiritual influence into political power.
Ever since the 1840s, a number of political adjectives could accurately be used to
describe the Canadian government system. It is democratic as the people have
significant input and influence. It is a constitutional monarchy because the head of state
is Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, but her power is strictly limited by Canada’s
written and unwritten constitution. It is a parliamentary system in which the House of
Commons and the Senate, especially the former, is the centre of political power.
Canada’s government is a responsible system in that the executive branch of
government is responsible to the legislative branch and ultimately to the people. It is a
federal system in that the Constitution Act, 1867 divided the powers of government
between a central national government and provincial governments. Altogether,
Canada has three levels of government – national, provincial/territorial, and municipal.
While democracy is not a perfect system of government, it is the form of government
under which Canadian citizens choose to live. As former British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill put it so well, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of
government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Within
democracies, the people themselves have some measure of influence over their own
lives and the issues that directly affect them. They have the opportunity to vote in free
and fair elections at regular intervals to determine who they feel best represents their
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interests. They can criticize—indeed, they can protest—what the government is doing or
is failing to do.
As Canadians, we have many significant rights within our democracy: fundamental
freedoms such as the freedom of expression, belief, thought, religion, the press,
assembly, association, and conscience, as well as mobility rights, equality rights,
democratic rights, and language rights. Indeed, we have used our democratic rights and
the power of voting to develop a thriving and dynamic democratic system in which the
political, governmental, and electoral systems are open, accessible, transparent, and
founded on integrity.
LESSON PLAN: A Comparison of Democracy and Other Governmental
Models
FOCUS
•
•
•
•
There are many different forms of government, currently and historically.
The major distinguishing factor among types of government is the number of
people who have access to power.
While democracy is the form of government Canadians support, it is not without
faults.
Many other countries around the world are adopting democracy.
OUTCOMES
•
•
•
•
•
Students will identify the characteristics of democratic systems of government.
Students will identify strengths and weaknesses of democracy.
Students will identify other systems of government, current and historical, as well
as the ways in which they differ from democratic systems.
Students’ understanding of democracy and various alternative governmental
forms will be broadened and deepened.
Students will understand and appreciate the benefits and advantages of
democracy.
MATERIALS
•
•
•
•
Internet access;
Overhead projector (optional);
Handout #1—“Democracy and Other Forms of Government”;
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”
LESSON
Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
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Total time—five minutes
HOOK
As a class, complete the following tasks and write the results on the board.
a) “Demos” and “kratos”—briefly explore the origins of the term “democracy.” What
is the precise definition of each term? From what language do the two terms
come? Can you identify other contemporary political terms that come from the
same origins?
b) Brainstorm “What is democracy?”, “What are the components/elements of
democracy?”, and “What are the advantages of democracy?”
PART A
1. In groups of three, have students complete the following tasks:
a) Devise a group definition of “democracy.” (The definition should include some
of the components/elements identified above, e.g., the belief that governing
power is derived from the people; belief in universal rights such as freedom,
equality, and the ability to participate in free and open elections.)
b) Each group should also compile two lists: One—the top three Canadian
“democrats” (Canadians, either current or historical who best live up to the
definition of this term), and Two—the top three world “democrats”
(international leaders, living or dead, who best live up to the definition of this
term).
c) After all groups have noted their answers, give students a chance to read
other groups’ responses.
2. As a class, complete the following tasks and write the results on the board.
a) From the answers generated above, create a class definition of the word
“democracy.”
b) Teacher should conduct a brief class discussion based on groups’ results for
task c) above using the following questions:
1) What do you like best about democracy?
2) What are the main characteristics of democracy?
3) What are the advantages of democracy?
4) As a political system, relatively how old is democracy?
Teacher Note:
Working definitions of democracy . . .
a) A form of government in which laws are made by a direct vote of the citizens
(direct democracy) or by their elected representatives (indirect democracy).
b) A governmental system in which the majority rule through free and fair
elections.
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c) A system of government that prizes universal rights such as equality,
freedom, and the ability to participate in free and open elections.
d) A political system characterized by the equality of rights and privileges for all
citizens.
Total time—20 minutes
PART B
1. As a class, briefly brainstorm the concept of “power.” Have students identify
different forms of power in different times and different contexts. (Five minutes.)
2. Then have them narrow the focus to “political power.” Have students identify the
components/elements of “political power” and the relationship between the
government and the people. (Five minutes.)
3. Write the following terms on the board. Discuss as a class the definitions of the
terms and indicate to students that different political systems can be
distinguished in terms of the number of people who have access to “power”:
Dictatorship, Oligarchy, Democracy.
Teacher Note:
• Dictatorship—one person has power.
• Oligarchy—a few people have power.
• Democracy—many people have access to power.
If Internet access is available, students can search for more information using criteria
such as “political power,” “democracy,” “oligarchy,” and “dictatorship.”
4. Distribute Handout #1, “Democracy and Other Forms of Government.” Go to the
section entitled “Different Forms of Government.” As a class, have students
attempt to identify as many contemporary and historical examples of each type of
government as they can (dictatorship, oligarchy, and democracy). They should
indicate by writing a “C” (current) or an “H” (historical) after each government or
country identified. Why do you think democracy is being adopted by more and
more countries? (Twenty minutes.)
Teacher Note:
The following websites may be useful as some examples to start off the class:
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=abo&dir=int/act/dem&document=index&lang
=e
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http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=med&document=jun0807&dir=spe&lang=
e
http://www.pch.gc.ca/queen/crnCdn/106-eng.cfm
5. On Handout #1, go to “Strengths and Weaknesses of Democracy.” As a class,
discuss the strengths and weaknesses of democracy as a political system. The
teacher should take notes on the board in chart form while students write on
Handout #1. At the end of the activity, students should try to form a significant
conclusion from the data they have collected. (Twenty minutes.)
Teacher Note:
Some strengths of democracy—people have input/power, freedom, diversity of opinion,
tolerance
Some weaknesses of democracy—complex, time consuming, expensive
6. On Handout #1, go to “Democracy Then and Now.” Show the students pictures
of the Pnyx and the Bema. Also show images of Canada’s House of Commons
and the Ontario Legislative Chamber.
a) Discuss as a class how the business of democracy might be conducted in
each place.
b) Drawing on the information gained from previous activities, discuss as a class
the similarities and differences between democracy then and now.
c) Students should complete Handout #1.
d) Students should identify a significant conclusion from their information.
(Twenty minutes.)
Teacher Note:
Before beginning this section, the teacher should search the Internet for images of the
Pnyx and the Bema. The Pnyx is the hill where the ancient Athenian ecclesia met, and
the Bema, the speaker’s platform. Also search for images of Canada’s House of
Commons and the Ontario legislative chamber.
Answers generated in this activity should be about direct and representative democracy,
who is allowed to vote, and access to voting.
Some similarities—men vote, landowners vote.
Some differences—men and women vote, all citizens vote.
CLOSURE
Create a fictional superhero to represent democracy. This could be done through a
short story, a drawing, or a few panels of sequential art as in a graphic novel.
OR
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Create a personal depiction of democracy. Students should be given the choice of doing
one of the artistic options below to answer the question, “What does democracy mean
to me?” They can work either individually, in pairs, or in groups. Time permitting,
student products should be shared with the class.
Suggestions:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
A song or rap.
A poem.
A collage.
A painting.
A poster.
A cartoon.
Student choice (with teacher’s approval).
Total time—1 period
ASSESSMENT
See “Lesson 1 Quiz—Multiple Choice” in Appendix.
Handout #1—Democracy and Other Forms of Government
Identify as many contemporary and historical examples of each type of government as
you can. Can you indicate if these are “C” (current) or “H” (historical) after each
government identified?.
Different Forms of Government:
•
•
•
Dictatorship. (One person has the power.)
Oligarchy. (A few people have power.)
Democracy. (Many people have access to power.)
Strengths and Weaknesses of Democracy
Make note of the strengths and weaknesses of democracy as you discover them in your
class discussion. Using your notes, form a significant conclusion from the data you
have collected.
•
•
Strengths of democracy.
Weaknesses of democracy.
Democracy Then and Now
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Make note of the similarities and differences between democracy in the past (then) and
currently (now). Using your notes, form a significant conclusion from the data you have
collected.
•
•
Then.
Now.
Additional resources:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/sites/lop/aboutparliament/misc/DemocracyInAction/Democracye.asp.
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LESSON 2: INTRODUCTION TO GOVERNMENT
BACKGROUND
Governments come in many different sizes and varieties. Typically, when people
think of “government” they think of the group that makes decisions, collects
taxes, provides services, and allocates resources. In fact, “government” is any
organized decision-making body. So not only are there traditional forms of
government as loosely defined above, but “government” also exists in schools,
foundations, businesses, teams, clubs, religious organizations, and even in
families. In all these institutions, there is an organized decision-making process
and so there is “government.”
In Canada, we have three levels of government. One level is the federal or central
government, which looks after matters that affect the entire country, such as defence,
citizenship and immigration, postal service, and currency. The second level is the
government of each of the ten provinces and the three territories. Areas of responsibility
at this level include education, health care (hospitals), social assistance, and driver and
vehicle licences. Finally, there is the third level—the municipal government, which looks
after local concerns such as garbage pickup, public transit, sewers, and property taxes.
At the federal and provincial levels, governmental affairs are divided into three separate
branches—executive, legislative, and judicial.
The executive branch deals with the day-to-day business of the government and
proposes new laws. At the federal level it also sets the direction for the country in
federal matters and consists of the Crown, the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet. At the
provincial/territorial level, the executive branch also sets the priorities for the
province/territory in provincial/regional matters. The provincial/territorial executive
branch consists of the Crown, the Premier and the provincial/territorial Cabinet.
At the federal level, the legislative branch debates the pros and cons of proposed new
federal laws. The legislative branch approves, amends, or rejects new federal laws. It
also debates and discusses issues important to Canada and Canadians. It consists of
the House of Commons and the Senate.
There is no Senate at the provincial/territorial level. The legislative branch debates the
pros and cons of proposed new laws related to provincial/territorial matters. The
legislative branch approves, amends, or rejects proposed new laws. It also debates and
discusses issues important to citizens of the province/territory.
Finally there is the judicial branch which is composed of the court system that interprets
and applies the laws to citizens, corporations and governments.
All three levels of government conduct elections regularly, openly, and fairly. At election
time, citizens of voting age have the opportunity to participate in the development of
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their society and to express their vision for the future through voting or by becoming
candidates. Elections are massive undertakings and require tens of thousands of
workers to deliver them, but they are essential to the functioning and improvement of a
truly democratic society.
Over the years, there have been significant improvements to the electoral process. The
secret ballot was introduced. Women won the right to vote. Voting restrictions against
minority groups, Aboriginal persons, and inmates have been lifted. The voting age was
lowered from 21 to 18 years of age. Legislation in Ontario has been introduced to
ensure elections are accessible. Electronic voting appears to be on the horizon. All
these changes have been enabled by the democratic electoral process, a process that
asks citizens to share their vision of society in an effort to improve it for all citizens.
Through all the changes, the essence of the electoral system has remained. It is
founded on integrity and is transparent, open, and fair.
LESSON PLAN: Introduction to the Concept and Practice of Government
FOCUS
•
•
•
Provide diagnostic assessment to determine what students already know about
government.
Have students simulate government, decision-making, and leadership.
Have students identify what they know, what they need to know, and what they
want to know about government.
OUTCOMES
•
•
•
Students will understand the nature of government and decision-making.
Students will understand that government is not a remote, anonymous entity, but
rather a system made up of individuals not so unlike themselves.
Students will understand that the concept of government exists in their
community and in their everyday lives.
MATERIALS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Magazines (for cut-outs);
Scissors;
Internet access;
Overhead projector (optional);
Handout #1—“Ontario and Canadian Government Crossword Puzzle”;
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”.
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LESSON
Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
Total time—Five minutes
HOOK Part A
As a starter activity, the teacher may want to divide the class into groups of five
students. Each group will briefly engage in a “Governing Your Own Classroom” activity.
a) Tell the students that each group has a total of $1,000 to spend on equipping the
classroom in any way they deem best (e.g., technical equipment, curtains, paint,
new DVDs, etc.).
b) ALL members of the group MUST be involved in deciding how to allocate the
money.
c) Each group MUST hold a vote in order to reach their final decision.
d) Each group must write a brief explanation and justification of the way in which
they decided to allocate the funds, and then present it to the class.
After each group has made its brief presentation to the class, conduct a debriefing on
the way in which each group performed as a “government,” how leadership emerged,
and how decision-making was conducted.
Total time—20–25 minutes
Areas to consider:
• How were decisions arrived at?;
• What leaders emerged? How and why?;
• What role did voting play?;
• What is a “compromise” and what role did it play in this simulation?;
• How closely do you think this simulation parallels real government functions?
Explain;
• Was everyone in the group satisfied with the final decision? Why or why not?
Explain.
Part B
1. Teacher chooses three of the following quotations and writes them on the board
(or projects them with an overhead projector).
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous
servant and a fearful master.—George Washington (first American president).
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If men were angels, no government would be necessary.—James Madison (18th-century
American political thinker).
No man is good enough to govern another man, without that other's consent.—Abraham
Lincoln (President during the American Civil War).
Government is an art, not a science, and an adventure, not a planned itinerary, and the
humanities have been its oldest masters and guides.—Donald Creighton (noted
Canadian historian).
Canadians, like their historians, have spent too much time remembering conflicts,
crises, and failures. They forgot the great, quiet continuity of life in a vast and generous
land. A cautious people learns from its past; a sensible people can face its future.
Canadians, on the whole, are both. - Desmond Morton, (Canadian historian and Hiram
Mills emeritus professor at McGill University).
The upward course of a nation's history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart
of its average men and women. Queen Elizabeth II (The Queen and Head of State of
the Commonwealth realms including Canada)
2. Follow-up Discussion—Focus Questions
a) Which quotation about government do you find most appealing? Why?
b) Do these quotations convey a positive, negative, or neutral image of
government? Explain.
c) What is the principal role that each of these writers attributes to government?
d) If you could ask one question of each of these people related to their ideas on
“government,” what would that question be in each case? What do you
anticipate might be the answer? Explain.
Total time—10–15 minutes
Section A Collective definition of “government”
The teacher will lead the class through an exploratory discussion by asking the
question,” What is YOUR definition of government?” Answers should be noted on the
board. After several students have provided their input, the teacher, along with the
students, will collectively write out a definition of “government.” (Ten minutes.)
If necessary, definition of government resources can be found by searching the Internet
using “definition of government” as criteria.
Section B Government in Different Places
1. The day before the class, the teacher will ask the students to bring to class an
assortment of magazines and newspapers.
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2. The teacher will lead a class discussion about the many different places where
“government” (an organized decision-making body) exists. Examples might
include a church, a sports team, a charitable organization, a family, a school, etc.
(Five to ten minutes.)
3. Using the definition produced in “Section A” above and the preceding discussion,
the teacher will put the class into pairs and ask them to list as many of the terms,
ideas, and concepts as they can think of that are associated with government.
(Five to ten minutes.)
Teacher Note
Possible terms to use: Prime Minister, Premier, Mayor, election, vote, democracy,
responsibilities, riding, electoral district, poll, Governor General, Lieutenant Governor,
issues, Parliament Hill, Queen’s Park, Parliament, Legislative Assembly, House of
Commons, Senate. These can be found in the “Glossary.”
4. The teacher will put the student-generated terms on a large bulletin board or on
the board.
Students, working on their own or in pairs, will draw, find on the Internet, cut out from
newspapers and magazines, or print images that correspond to the terms they have
listed. In small groups, students will go up to the board and fix their images around the
terms.
(Ten to fifteen minutes.)
CLOSURE
1. The teacher will lead a class discussion about the perceived relationship
between the terms and the images.
2. The teacher will, at the close of the lesson, review this Word Wall by referring to
the meaning of these terms in Canada and Ontario’s democratic systems.
Definitions can be found in the “Glossary.” (Ten minutes.)
EXTENSION
Each student will select one term associated with government. He or she will then:
a) in a well written paragraph, explain what his or her selected term means and how
it is related to government. In a 30- to 60-second ”mini-lesson,” teach the term to
another student who has selected a different term.
b) write a reflective position paragraph (or paper) on the statement, – “Why
government is important in my life.”
c) complete Handout #1—Ontario and Canadian Government Crossword Puzzle.
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HANDOUT 1: EXERCISE TO REPLACE THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE.
Answer the following questions:
1)
the head of government at the provincial level (1 word);
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
the Queen's representative at the federal level (2 words);
the place where eligible voters cast their vote (1 word);
there are 107 of these elected representatives in Ontario (4 words);
you must be this in order to vote (1 word);
the Queen's representative at the provincial level (2 words);
an organized group of people sharing similar political ideas who seek to
obtain political power (2 words);
8) overall in charge of an election (3 words);
9) an organized system of decision-making (1 word);
10) a type of government in which the majority rule and individual rights are
protected (1 word);
11) the head of government in Canada (2 words);
12) the special piece of paper on which a vote is registered (1 word);
13) a local electoral district (1 word);
14) the third level of government after federal and provincial/territorial (1 word);
15) usually written into a constitution and guaranteed in a democracy (1 word);
16) one of these must be held in Ontario every four years on the first Thursday
of October (1 word);
17) number of levels of government in Canada (1 word);
Responses to the questions:
1)
2)
3)
4)
the head of government at the provincial level: Premier;
the Queen's representative at the federal level: Governor General;
the place where eligible voters cast their vote: Poll;
there are 107 of these elected representatives in Ontario: Member of
Provincial Parliament;
5) you must be this in order to vote: Citizen;
6) the Queen's representative at the provincial level: Lieutenant Governor;
7) an organized group of people sharing similar political ideas who seek to
obtain political power: Political Party;
8) overall in charge of an election: Chief Electoral Officer;
9) an organized system of decision-making: Government;
10) a type of government in which the majority rule and individual rights are
protected: Democracy;
11) the head of government in Canada: Prime Minister;
12) the special piece of paper on which a vote is registered: Ballot;
13) a local electoral district: Riding;
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14) the third level of government after federal and provincial/territorial:
Municipal;
15) usually written into a constitution and guaranteed in a democracy: Rights;
16) one of these must be held in Ontario every four years on the first Thursday
of October (1 word): Election;
17) number of levels of government in Canada: Three (1 word).
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LESSON PLAN 3: POLITICAL PARTIES
BACKGROUND
The role of political parties is a key element of the Ontario—and—Canadian
political systems. Political parties advance platforms, ideas, and agendas. They
select candidates to espouse their platforms, and in that sense those candidates
become the face of the party.
Some candidates may choose not to become members of a political party and will run
as independent candidates, however; most are members of a political party. Political
parties nominate candidates to run in elections, promote and publicize issues, organize
like-minded individuals from the community, act as a social as well as political
institution, and serve in significant roles before, during, and after an election. But exactly
what is a political party? Simply defined, a political party is a group of fairly like-minded
individuals. While scarcely identical, members of a political party share similar views
about the way in which the government, the economy, and society should be run,
including major issues of the day such as health care, the economy, the environment,
education, and foreign affairs, to name a few.
One of the goals of political parties is to form or influence the government in order to
implement the platforms and issues they and their members support. The electoral
system used to select government in Ontario and Canada is called “first-past-the-post”
(FPTP). In this system, the party with the greatest number of candidates who win their
individual electoral districts, wins the election and usually is given the opportunity to
form the government. In Ontario, each party member who wins their electoral district
then gets to sit in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Member of the Provincial
Parliament (MPP). In a federal election, the candidate who wins in their electoral district
gets to sit in the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament (MP).
The party that forms the government is usually determined by adding up the number of
candidates from each party who have won seats in their electoral districts. A majority
government is defined as the election result in which the winning party achieves more
than 50 per cent, plus one of the available seats (i.e., it has more seats than all the
other opposition parties combined). A minority government occurs when the winning
party wins more seats than any other party, but all the opposition parties combined have
more seats than the winning (government) party. Occasionally, but very rarely, a
coalition government is formed. A coalition government is when two or more political
parties in the government formally agree to govern together.
Political parties play an essential role within the political system. They articulate
positions—the party platform—on the current issues of the day. As they promote and
publicize their positions on important issues, political parties make the electorate aware
and more knowledgeable about those issues. They also provide the voters with a
choice. Voters may opt for one political party over another because of the party
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platform, the party leader, the local candidate in their electoral district, or a combination
of those and other factors.
LESSON PLAN: Political Parties
FOCUS
•
Have students understand the role, nature, and function of political parties.
Teacher Note: The political parties created in this lesson can be used in Lesson 9,
“Time to Decide: Voting Simulation.”
OUTCOMES
•
•
•
•
Students will better understand and appreciate the origins, purposes, roles and
natures of current political parties in Canada.
Students will understand and appreciate how political parties represent the
opinions and issues of their members.
Students will understand and appreciate the political, economic, and social
differences that exist regarding contemporary issues.
Students will experience role-playing, acting out the details of a political party.
MATERIALS
•
•
•
•
•
DVD/music player;
Collection of political cartoons (optional);
Overhead projector (optional);
Handout #1—“Political Survey”;
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”.
LESSON
Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
Total time—five minutes
HOOK
The day before the class, ask the students to each research and bring to class a
political cartoon, and a protest song or a song that has political overtones.
The teacher will select the one (or two or three) that he/she thinks would work best with
the class.
Follow-up questions (for class discussion) applicable to songs or cartoons:
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1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
What does the song/cartoon say about politics?
Is the song’s/cartoon’s view of politics positive or negative? Explain.
What is your reaction to the song/cartoon?
Can you suggest other songs/cartoons that are about politics?
Why are songs/cartoons an effective way of getting people to think about politics
(or about anything for that matter)?
Total time—10 minutes
PART A: Political Survey
1) The teacher will distribute a copy of Handout #1—“Political Survey” to each
student.
2) Have the students complete the survey according to the directions.
3) After completing the survey, each student should add up their total score.
4) The teacher will then use the scores to organize the class into fictional political
parties as described in PART B—“Political Party Simulation.”
PART B: Political Party Simulation
1. Based on the students’ scores in the political survey, the teacher will arrange the
students in three political parties. Party A will be the 33 per cent of the class with the
lowest scores, Party B will be the 33 per cent of the class with the highest score, and
Party C will be the rest.
2. The students will then begin to organize their party by completing the following tasks
for political parties:
a) Working as a group, create an original and authentic name for your political party
(it should be a fictional name that reflects the nature of the party’s views on the
issues, be memorable, and make an effective abbreviation).
b) Create a logo for your political party.
c) Create a mission statement for your political party.
d) Working as a group, select a leader of the party and four other candidates. (And
then briefly reflect and debrief why that particular individual was chosen.)
e) Allocate areas of responsibility to pairs of students. There will be five areas of
responsibility— education, taxes, the environment, labour, and the economy.
(The teacher can choose others, if appropriate.)
Total time —25–30 minutes
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PART C: The Party Platform
1. In this exercise the members of the political parties discuss and formulate their
platforms around a particular issue that expresses the views of their members. This
exercise can be delivered in a number of ways. The teacher can select an actual
provincial or federal issue, or an issue closer to the students’ experience, or lead a
discussion in which the class chooses its own issue.
Some ideas for issues that could be related to topics of immediate importance closer
to the students’ own experience might include school dress code, public
transportation, voting age, school accessibility, homework policy, driver’s licensing,
various school fees, or others found in the “Political Survey.”
2. Once the important issues have been identified, the fictional political parties can be
assigned the following task:
Working as a group, have the party formulate its platform (the party’s position on the
issues) in five areas of responsibility—education, taxes, the environment, labour,
and the economy. For example, if the issue your class has identified is raising the
voting age, the party should discuss how this would affect the areas of education,
taxes, the environment, labour, and the economy. Their party’s platform should
address the problems created by the issue in that area, the proposed solution, a
justification of the intended policy, and a prediction of the outcome if the policy is
enacted. (The teacher can choose other areas of responsibility, if appropriate.)
Total time—20 minutes
3. For Homework:
After hearing what his/her colleagues have advised, each student will write a onepage Party Position Paper on the area of responsibility allocated to them in item e)
of PART B, above. That one-pager should address the problem(s) in that area, the
proposed solution, a justification of the intended policy, and a prediction of the
outcome if the policy is enacted.
4. These one-page Party Position Papers should, time permitting, be discussed and
debated in the following class.
CLOSURE
Students choose from the following closure activities:
1. Create and conduct a survey on one of your party’s issues.
2. Research pressure and lobby groups to see if there are groups that promote your
party’s issues.
3. Research Activity—Research Canadian political parties in three different time
periods: the 1870s, the 1930s, and the 1970s. Each group can do research and
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present about one political party in each of the time frames (name, leader, number of
seats, and three to five issues that they espoused). Present the research in the
classroom and compare the parties.
Teacher Note:
Information on all political parties registered with Elections Ontario can be found at the
following website:
http://www.elections.on.ca/enCA/CandidatesAndParties/PoliticalParties/RegisteredPoliticalPartiesinOntario.htm.
Information on all political parties registered with Elections Canada can be found at the
following website:
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=pol&dir=par&document=index&lang=e
EXTENSION
Write a one-page position paper explaining the vital role played by political parties within
our system.
ASSESSMENT
See “Lesson 3 Quiz—True/False” in Appendix.
Handout #1—Political Survey
Simply defined, a political party is a group of fairly like-minded individuals. They share
similar ideas about the way in which the government, the economy, and society should
be run. While scarcely identical, members of a political party usually share fairly similar
views on the major issues of the day, be they health care, social issues, the economy,
the environment, education, or foreign affairs.
Instructions:
Answer this political survey to determine the fictional political party that shares your
views. Indicate your views by placing a number in the appropriate box beside each
question (1 indicating strong disagreement, 2 mild disagreement, 3 undecided, 4 mild
agreement, 5 strong agreement).
1. Cell phones should not be allowed in the classroom.
2. Most arts programs should be dropped from high school.
3. High schools should have more sports programs.
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4. Environmental laws should be eased.
5. Students should not be able to choose their high school.
6. One hour of daily exercise should be mandatory.
7. The drinking age should be raised.
8. The driver’s licence age should be raised.
9. Students should pay a fee for extracurricular activities.
10. School uniforms should be introduced.
Add up all of the numbers in the boxes. Enter your total score here. _______
Total time—10 minutes
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LESSON 4: OVERVIEW OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE
PREMIER
BACKGROUND: The Prime Minister
The most visible individual within Canadian politics is undoubtedly the Prime
Minister. He or she is regularly featured on television newscasts, in blogs, and in
newspapers. The Prime Minister is the “face” of Canada as he/she frequently
travels abroad representing the country as well as receiving foreign visitors in
Canada. Arguably, as the head of the Canadian government (not head of the
state, as that is the preserve of the Queen) he/she is the single most powerful
member of the Canadian government.
The Prime Minister is often viewed as primus inter pares (“first among equals”) in terms
of his/her role within the government. As Prime Minister, he or she has the final say in
every major governmental policy decision. The Prime Minister chooses Cabinet
Ministers to assist with policy decisions. The Prime Minister also chooses a myriad of
other important officials: Supreme Court Justices, the Chief of the Defence Staff
(Canada’s top soldier), the RCMP Commissioner, ambassadors, heads of Crown
corporations, and members of many boards, commissions, and agencies. As well, the
Prime Minister provides advice to the Queen on the selection of Governors General and
Lieutenant Governors.
The great majority of Canadian Prime Ministers – over three-quarters – have been
lawyers but others have backgrounds in business, economics, academia, and
diplomacy. Only one of Canada’s Prime Ministers, Kim Campbell, has been female.
The Provinces/Territories and the Premier
Each of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories has a parliamentary system of its
own, which closely parallels the federal government in Ottawa. Ontario uses a
unicameral (single house) Westminster-style of parliamentary government. If the Prime
Minister is the most powerful member of the government at the national level, then the
Premier is his or her counterpart at the provincial/territorial level. The Premier is the
leader of the government, which is normally the political party with the greatest number
of seats in the Legislative Assembly. In Ontario, the Premier chooses an Executive
Council, the members of which are called Ministers, and they form the Cabinet of the
Ontario Government. Cabinet develops policies and sets priorities. Cabinet Ministers
introduce government legislation for the consideration of the Assembly.
The job descriptions of the Prime Minister and a Premier are very similar. The Premier
is the personification of the provincial/territorial government. It is the Premier, his/her
Cabinet, and his/her government that are ultimately responsible for all
provincial/territorial legislation and are ultimately answerable for everything that the
provincial/territorial government does or fails to do. It is important to note that the
Premier works exclusively in matters of provincial or territorial jurisdiction. So while the
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Premier has no say in terms of Arctic sovereignty or about the deployment of Canadian
troops, he or she has a great deal to say about health care and education within his or
her province/territory. In addition, the Premier appoints a large number of members of
provincial boards, commissions, and agencies.
The majority of Ontario Premiers have been lawyers. While there has not been a
female Premier of Ontario yet, there have been three in other provinces—Catherine
Callbeck in Prince Edward Island, Rita Johnston in British Columbia, and Kathy
Dunderdale in Newfoundland and Labrador. There have been two female Premiers in
the territories—Nellie Cournoyea in the Northwest Territories and Pat Duncan in the
Yukon, as well as current Premier, Eva Aariak, in Nunavut.
In terms of obtaining their respective offices, both the Premier and the Prime Minister
must fulfill three requirements:
1. They must be the leader of a political party and usually, their party must have
won more seats than any other party in the last election;
2. Usually, the Prime Minister wins a seat in the federal Parliament and sits as a
Member of Parliament and the Premier wins a seat in the provincial legislature
and sits as a Member of Provincial Parliament. (It should be noted that this is
custom rather than an ironclad rule. For example, Sir John Abbott served as
Prime Minister from 1891–1892 without having won a seat in the House of
Commons. He was in Parliament but as a member of the Senate.)
3. They must have the confidence of Parliament or the Legislative Assembly and be
asked to form a government by the Governor General or Lieutenant Governor.
LESSON PLAN: The Offices of the Prime Minister and Premier
FOCUS
• An examination of the offices of the Prime Minister at the federal level and the
Premier at the provincial/territorial level in terms of individuals who have held the
office, how an individual obtains the office, qualities needed, and duties and
responsibilities of the offices.
OUTCOMES
• Students will understand the duties and responsibilities of the Offices of the
Prime Minister and the Premier.
• Students will become aware of the skills and abilities required in these offices.
• Students will evaluate some of the individuals who have held these offices.
• Students will become sensitive to the advantages and disadvantages of being
the office holder.
• Students will identify and describe leadership skills.
MATERIALS
• TV/ VCR/DVD;
• Overhead projector (optional);
Page 27 of 113
•
•
Internet access;
Handouts #1 and #2, ““Prime Ministers of Canada Word Search” and “Premiers
of Ontario Word Search”;
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”.
LESSON
Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
Total time —5 minutes
HOOK
Leadership quotations: Choose three or four of the following quotations and write them
on the board or display them using an overhead projector. Lead a discussion using the
follow-up discussion questions.
All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to
confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much
else, is the essence of leadership.
—John Kenneth Galbraith (20th-century Canadian economist and Harvard University
professor)
Great obstacles make great leaders.
—Chief Dr. Billy Diamond (former Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees
(Eeyou Istchee))
The leader has to be practical and a realist yet must talk the language of the visionary
and the idealist.
—Eric Hoffer (American social writer and philosopher)
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead where there is no path and leave a
trail.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (19th-century American poet and philosopher)
Follow-up discussion questions:
1. What is the major characteristic of leadership that emerges from each quotation?
2. Which of those characteristics do you think is most important? Why?
3. Write your own quotation on leadership. How does it compare to that of other
class members?
Total time—15–20 minutes
PART A
1. The teacher will divide the class into groups of three or four students. The task of
each group is to brainstorm characteristics and skills required for effective
leadership. (Possible answers might include intelligence, knowledge,
organizational skills, ability to identify talent, listening ability, ability to delegate, a
sense of vision, charisma, trustworthiness, reliability, integrity, etc.) These traits
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should be recorded either on the board or on an overhead. (Ten to fifteen
minutes.)
2. Individually, each student should record the identified traits, characteristics, and
skills. Then beside each of them, each student should classify the particular skill
as either “essential” or “desirable” for a successful Prime Minister or Premier.
(Five to ten minutes)
3. As a class, brainstorm as many of the current and former Prime Ministers of
Canada or Premiers of Ontario as possible. The teacher should record these on
the board in a chart format. Time permitting, the class might also identify a major
aspect, feature, or legacy of the individual identified. (This is a fast brainstorming
activity; no research required . . . simply a task to see how many Prime Ministers
or Premiers they can name as a class.)
4. Hand out and complete either Handout #1, “Prime Ministers of Canada Word
Search,” or Handout #2, “Premiers of Ontario Word Search.” (Fifteen to twenty
minutes.)
5. Students should return to their groups. They should select two Prime Ministers or
two Premiers and evaluate those individuals against the skill list created.
Information on Prime Ministers can be obtained at
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/index-e.html.
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Compilations/FederalGovernment/PrimeMinisters/
Gallery.aspx.
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/compilations/federalgovernment/primeministers/Bi
ographical.aspx.
Information on Ontario Premiers can be obtained either by searching the Internet
using their individual names or by searching under “Ontario Premiers.”
Total time—20–25 minutes
6. Reassemble as a class and debrief the exercise by examining what significant
conclusions you can reach regarding the performance of Prime Ministers and
Premiers in office against the class’s expectations. Can you suggest reasons
why that might be the case? (Five to ten minutes)
CLOSURE
Personal Reflection—in a well-written one-page reflection, students indicate why
they would or would not want to hold either the office of Prime Minister or Premier.
EXTENSION
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A Day-in-the-Life—Student will put themselves in the role of Communications
Director of either the Prime Minister or the Premier and compile a mythical but
sensible day-in-the-life routine or schedule to indicate exactly what the leader does.
Information can be found at the following website:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/sites/lop/aboutparliament/guidehousecommons/member_parl
-e.asp.
ASSESSMENT
See “Lesson 4 Quiz—Multiple Choice” in Appendix.
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Handout #1—Prime Ministers of Canada Word Search
This exercise is not available under accessibility format. This exercise is replaced with
the list of Prime Ministers of Canada since the beginning of the Confederation.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
John A. Macdonald, Liberal-Conservative, First Term:1867–1873, Second
Term:1878–1891;
Alexander Mackenzie, Liberal Party of Canada, 1873–1878;
John Abbott, Liberal-Conservative, 1891–1892;
John Thompson, Liberal-Conservative, 1892–1894;
Mackenzie Bowell, Conservative, 1894–1896;
Charles Tupper, Conservative, 1896 (May to July);
Wilfrid Laurier, Liberal Party of Canada, 1896–1911;
Robert Borden, Conservative, First Term: 1911–1917, Second Term: Unionist
(Conservative and Liberal) 1917–1920;
Arthur Meighen, Conservative, First Term:1920–1921, Second Term:1926
(June to September);
W. L. Mackenzie King, Liberal Party of Canada, First Term: 1921–1926, Second
Term: 1926–1930, Third Term: 1935–1948;
R. B. Bennett, Conservative, 1930–1935;
Louis St. Laurent, Liberal Party of Canada, 1948–1957;
John Diefenbaker, Progressive Conservative Party, 1957–1963;
Lester B. Pearson, Liberal Party of Canada, 1963–1968;
Pierre Trudeau, Liberal Party of Canada, First Term: 1968–1979, Second
Term:1980–1984;
Joe Clark, Progressive Conservative Party, 1979–1980;
John Turner, Liberal Party of Canada, 1984 (June to September);
Brian Mulroney, Progressive Conservative Party, 1984–1993;
Kim Campbell, Progressive Conservative Party, 1993 (June to November);
Jean Chrétien, Liberal Party of Canada, 1993–2003;
Paul Martin, Liberal Party of Canada, 2003–2006;
Stephen Harper, Conservative Party of Canada, 2006— to present
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LESSON 5: ELECTORAL DISTRICTS;MEMBERS OF
PARLIAMENT AND MEMBERS OF PROVINCIAL
PARLIAMENT
BACKGROUND
Canada is a country of almost ten million square kilometres. It is made up of 10
provinces and three territories. The government of Canada has three levels—
federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal. Each level has responsibilities in
specific areas of government and the power to make and enforce new laws. Each
level of government is responsible to its citizens and holds regular elections to
determine who will represent the citizens in the government.
Citizens from different places may have different concerns. The issues in manufacturing
regions may differ from those in agricultural areas and Maritime areas. Cities can have
different concerns than rural areas. In order to better represent these localised
concerns, each level of government has electoral districts that are established by
independent boundaries commissions.
Electoral districts are also referred to as constituencies or ridings, and in municipalities
they are called wards. Electoral districts are geographical areas that are each home to
approximately the same number of people and that elect, in the federal case, a Member
of Parliament (MP), in Ontario, a Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP), and in
other provinces and territories, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Member of
the National Assembly (MNA), or Member of the House of Assembly (MHA). These
geographically based electoral districts are the foundation of Canada’s and Ontario’s
systems of representative democracy. Federally, there are 308 electoral districts,
meaning there are 308 MPs who sit in the House of Commons in Ottawa. Of these, 106
are from Ontario. In Ontario’s Legislative Assembly in Toronto, there are 107 MPPs,
each representing one of Ontario’s 107 electoral districts.
The number, size, and exact dimensions of both federal and provincial electoral districts
are regularly revised to reflect changes and movement in population. For example,
representation in the House of Commons is readjusted after each decennial (10-year)
census—conducted by Statistics Canada—to reflect changes and movements in
Canada's population and in accordance with the Constitution Act, 1867, and the
Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. Ontario’s federal and provincial electoral
districts were identical in 1867 but this congruity soon ended as provincial laws and
provincial boundary commissions drew different electoral boundaries for electing
members to the Legislative Assembly. In 1996, however, Ontario’s map was re-drawn
by the Representation Act, 1996 to match its federal electoral boundaries; federal and
provincial electoral districts in Ontario were congruous for the 1999 and 2003 provincial
elections. However, with the enactment of the Representation Act, 2005, Ontario’s
provincial electoral boundaries were again revised so that the number and size of
Ontario’s northern electoral districts vary from those on the federal electoral map.
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In order to maintain the integrity of the system that adjusts the electoral boundaries,
policies and procedures have been put into place by both the federal and Ontario
governments.
At the federal level, for example, Canada operates under an “electoral quotient” system,
whereby the total population of the 10 provinces (the territories are not included as they
each get one seat) is divided by the total number of seats available to arrive at the
National Quotient. Then the population of each province is divided by the National
Quotient to determine the number of seats allocated to that province. There are then
some minor adjustments (for example, no province can have fewer seats in the House
of Commons than it has in the Senate).
For federal electoral districts, when a province’s final seat allotment has been
determined, an impartial, non-partisan Electoral Boundaries Commission is established
in each province. (As the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut constitute only one
electoral district each, no Electoral Boundaries Commissions are required for them.)
Those three-person commissions, after receiving their seat allocation from the Chief
Electoral Officer of Canada, propose new federal electoral district boundaries within
their respective provinces. They also hold public hearings to receive input and feedback
on the proposed boundaries. For example, if the boundaries proposed run counter to
the established traditions within a given region, or those boundaries do not truly reflect a
community’s political, economic, social, or historical realities or its relations with its
surrounding regions, the Electoral Boundary Commission would make the necessary
changes. Following the public hearings, the Commissions submit their reports to the
Chief Electoral Officer, who submits them to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Finally, in regards to federal electoral districts, members of the House of Commons
have an opportunity to study the proposed new boundaries, and to make comments or
objections, which are then sent back to each Commission for their consideration. In all
cases, the final decision rests with the Electoral Boundaries Commissions. This virtually
eliminates the possibility of “gerrymandering,” which was an old and unethical practice
of modifying electoral boundaries to favour the incumbent government.
LESSON PLAN: An Overview of Electoral Districts, Members of
Parliament, and Members of Provincial Parliament
FOCUS
•
A concentration on electoral districts and on how Members of Parliament
(federally) and Members of the Provincial Parliament (provincially) operate within
them.
OUTCOMES
•
Students will recognize the fairness and integrity of the electoral district system.
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•
•
Students will understand that electoral boundaries are dynamic and change
regularly.
Students will understand the basic role, functions, duties, and responsibilities of
MPs and MPPs.
MATERIALS
•
•
•
•
•
TV, DVD;
Internet access;
Known, New, Surprising Chart (See Hook—Part A below);
Handout #1—“Three Levels of Government”;
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”.
LESSON
Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
Total time—5 minutes
HOOK
Using the board or chart paper, create a chart with three columns—Things I Know about
Our (Canadian and Ontario) Government; Things I Don’t Know about Our Government,
and Things I Want to Know about Our Government. As a class, fill out the chart with
information supplied by the students. When the chart is complete, have students
transfer information to their notes. (Fifteen to twenty minutes.)
PART A— The Three Levels of Government
1. Brainstorm as a class various areas of responsibility (e.g., defence, finance,
agriculture, foreign affairs, health, education, banking, immigration, etc). About 15
areas should be identified and written on the board. (Ten to fifteen minutes.)
2. The teacher should distribute Handout #1, entitled “Three Levels of Government.”
Students then identify which level of government is responsible for that particular
area. The teacher should take it up. (Fifteen minutes.)
Teacher Note
The “Background” for Lesson 2, “Introduction to Government” might be useful here.
The following video may be useful to start the lesson.
TVO Civics 101; Who Does What? Time 04:23 (only available in English).
http://www.tvo.org/TVOsites/WebObjects/TvoMicrosite.woa?civics101_explained#2463
6068001tvo.
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PART B— Electoral District Research
1. The teacher will assign a specific electoral district to each student.
2. The student will then research his or her assigned electoral district by going to
various websites. Major communities within the electoral district will have a website.
Elements to focus on include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Population;
Demographic makeup;
Major industries;
Major trends;
Major geographic features; and
Major communities.
This activity, while possibly begun in class, would best be done as a homework
assignment. In the following lesson, the teacher should call upon each student to make
a brief 2–3 minute report giving the highlights of their research.
Teacher Note:
The following websites can help students find out major characteristics of their electoral
district.
• Elections Canada (http://www.elections.ca/home.aspx);
• Elections Ontario (http://www.electionsontario.on.ca/);
• Statistics Canada (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/).
PART C— The Role of the MP/MPP/MLA/MNA/MHA
1. Students will initially brainstorm the duties and responsibilities of an MP or an
MPP/MLA/MNA/MHA. The teacher will record relevant information on the board.
2. Each student will identify any individual, living or deceased, who they feel could
best represent their views, values, and issues to the government. Who would be
their perfect MP or MPP/MLA/MNA/MHA? Then provide a brief explanation and
justification for their choice.
3. Students will imagine that they are writing an email to a person in another
country that explains what electoral districts in Canada are and how MPs and
MPPs function within them.
Suggested resources
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/home.do?locale=en.
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/sites/lop/aboutparliament/guidehousecommons/member_parle.asp.
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http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Education/SetAgenda/index-e.asp.
CLOSURE
Students will write a one-page position paper on the representation of young people in
the government. The paper could be about why they feel they are well represented
(representation can be based on interests, gender, age, their provincial/territorial
concerns, their culture) in government. Alternatively, the paper could be about why they
feel they are not well represented. Why is this the case? Does this matter and why does
it matter? Finally, what can be done to change the situation?
EXTENSION
Interview ten different people who live within your electoral district to get their sense of
what the area’s needs are.
ASSESSMENT
See “Lesson 5 Quiz—Fill-in-the-Blanks” in Appendix
Handout #1—Three Levels of Government
Instructions: Put each governmental area of responsibility under the appropriate level of
government that looks after it—Federal, Provincial, or Municipal. Put shared
responsibilities under Shared.
Responsibilities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
National Defence and the Canadian Forces;
health care (hospitals);
social assistance;
water and sewer services;
property taxes;
marriage licences;
parks;
natural resources;
economic development;
roads and highways;
laws;
copyright;
foreign affairs and international trade;
education;
driver and vehicle licensing;
OPP;
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
waste management (garbage and recycling);
public transit (buses);
snow removal;
bylaws, creation and implementation of;
other policing;
environment;
transportation;
banking;
RCMP;
Passports;
property and civil rights;
fire department;
animal control;
recreation centres;
census;
airports;
citizenship and immigration;
national security;
land use planning;
public libraries;
building permits;
employment insurance;
postal service;
water management (provision of safe drinking water).
Responsibilities Answer Key
Federal
employment insurance, postal service, census, copyright, foreign affairs and
international trade, airports, citizenship and immigration, national security, National
Defence and the Canadian Forces, banking, RCMP, passports.
Provincial/Territorial
property and civil rights, health care (hospitals), social assistance, water management
(provision of safe drinking water), education, driver and vehicle licensing, OPP.
Municipal
water and sewer services, waste management (garbage and recycling), public transit
(buses), land use planning, public libraries, fire department, animal control, recreation
centres, building permits, property taxes, marriage licences, snow removal, bylaw
creation and implementation.
Shared
Other policing, environment, transportation, parks, health, natural resources, economic
development, roads and highways, laws.
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LESSON 6: YOUR VOTE HAS POWER
BACKGROUND
Your vote has power. It has the power to elect the candidate who best represents
you. It has the power to influence your government at every level and in every
area of responsibility. Your vote has the power to improve society in the ways
that you think are most important.
Sceptics might suggest that one vote does not really have much power, but they would
be thoroughly wrong. In 1874, John Dawson won his Nova Scotia seat in the House of
Commons by a single vote. And he’s not alone; there have been many others. Winners
for at least nine federal electoral districts have been decided by the slimmest of
margins—that single vote. It has happened in municipal elections as well. In a 2010
Ontario municipal election, Frank Etherington won his seat in Kitchener by a single vote,
a result that was confirmed in the official recount. Beyond that, the margin of victory is
extremely important in elections. Imagine what it means to a candidate to win with 60
per cent of the vote as opposed to 40 per cent. The perception of what the voters want
changes dramatically. So win or lose, every single vote—including your own—has
power!
The Ontario—and Canadian—system of voting called “first –past –the –post” is one of
the things that gives your vote its power. Drawing on a horse-racing analogy, it means
simply that the winning candidate in an election, like the winning horse in a race, is the
one that finishes ahead of the others, whether by a nose or twenty lengths. The winner
in an election does not need more than 50 per cent of the vote to win. The winner is the
one who obtains more votes than any of his/her rivals. Whether the winning candidate
wins by a single vote (which has happened) or thousands of votes is irrelevant. In both
cases, the result is the same—he/she has won the election. While there have been
recommendations to alter the first–past–the–post system with alternatives (for example,
proportional representation and mixed-member proportional—MMP—offered to Ontario
voters in a 2007 referendum), at this time, our system remains first–past–the–post.
The power of voting has a long history. Some form of voting probably occurred among
various civilizations more than 25 centuries ago. In Ancient Athens, about 500 BC,
citizens met in an assembly and decided on policy and leaders. Often the voting was
accomplished simply by a show of hands. Sometimes there was a more secretive ballot
during which small balls of different colours were used. Citizens would register their vote
by selecting a ball of a certain colour and then placing it in an urn. An interesting form of
secret ballot was exercised by the Ancient Athenians in their decision to exile one
politician every year. Citizens would write their choice on ostraka, which were shards
from broken pots. This system was introduced by Cleisthenes in 508 BC. To actually be
ostracised (exiled for ten years), a politician’s name had to appear on at least 6,000
ostraka. In Ancient Athens, the voters had the power to exile politicians!
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It is important to note that the origins of democracy in Ontario and Canada predate
Confederation. After 1867, this evolution has continued and many changes to how and
who can vote in Canada have come about, often at the request of groups of citizens.
For example, the secret ballot was introduced in elections in 1874. Women gained the
right to vote in provincial elections in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in 1916. In
1917, the women of Ontario and British Columbia secured the right to vote in their
provincial elections and in 1918 women won the right to vote in federal elections.
Voting is a fundamental political right, guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms. It is not a privilege. The power of the vote also carries the great
responsibility to get involved by getting out and voting. When you do, not only are you
expressing your political preference, but you are also ensuring a vibrant democratic
system, one based on fairness, equity, and integrity. A vote is indeed a very powerful
tool! One could even say that “Voting Rules!" How do you equate your soon-to-have
right to vote as a power that you will be able to exert?
LESSON PLAN: Your Vote Has Power
FOCUS
• Guide students to discover and value the power of each and every vote.
OUTCOMES
•
•
•
Students will understand what voting is and why it is important.
Students will understand and appreciate that their vote has power.
Students will understand that voting is both a right and a responsibility.
MATERIALS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Internet access;
Scissors;
Bristol board;
Overhead projector (optional);
Handout #1—“Milestones in the History of Voting in Canada”;
Handout #2—“Voter Turnout at Ontario General Elections”;
Handout #3—“Percentage of Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and
Referendums by Province and Territory””;
Handout #4—“Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums, 1867–
2008”;
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”.
LESSON
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Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
Total time—5 minutes
HOOK
1. Engage students in other voting/choosing systems (e.g., rock, scissors, paper;
flipping a coin, etc.). Brainstorm such systems/games.
2. Ask what the purpose(s) of such systems/games is/are.
3. Ask students if they can invent their own game/system.
4. Finally, ask students how closely such games/systems mirror the political system
of voting?
Total time—10–15 minutes
PART A
1. The teacher will distribute Handout #1, “Milestones in the History of Voting in
Canada.”
2. Working in groups of three, students will rank in order the three most important
events in the history of voting in Canada. (For homework, individually students
might construct a timeline of the history of voting in Canada.)
3. Then record the score from each group. (Every time a group ranks an event as
number one, it receives three points, if it is ranked number two, it gets two points,
and if ranked number three, it receives one point.) A class consensus of the three
most important events in the history of voting in Canada will be created.
Total time 20–25 minutes
PART B
1. The teacher will distribute Handout #2, “Voter Turnout at Ontario General
Elections,” Handout #3, “Percentage of Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and
Referendums by Province and Territory,” and Handout #4, “Voter Turnout at
Federal Elections and Referendums, 1867–2008.”
Teacher Note:
The teacher can decide to deliver the lesson with either the Ontario or Canada
statistics, or both. These questions might be answered individually or in groups,
and either in class or for homework.
2. Questions Concerning Handouts #2 and #3
a) Which year marked the highest voter turnout? Can you suggest reasons why
that might have been the case?
b) Which year marked the lowest voter turnout? Can you suggest reasons why
that might have been the case?
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c) What significant conclusion can you make in comparing voter turnout rates of
the most recent federal election and those of 50 years ago? Can you suggest
reasons for this trend?
d) What effect do you think lower voter turnout has on elected representatives?
Whose values and issues do they represent?
3. Questions Concerning Handout #4
a) Which province/territory has the highest voter turnout rate? Can you suggest
reasons for that?
b) Which province/territory has the lowest voter turnout rate? Can you suggest
reasons for that?
c) How does Ontario compare to other provinces/territories in terms of voter
turnout rate?
d) What effect do you think lower voter turnout has on the government? How is
the concept of democracy affected?
Teacher Note:
Handout #4 questions might be done individually or in groups, and either in class or for
homework.
CLOSURE
As a class, brainstorm “Why it is essential to vote.” The teacher will lead a final
discussion in order to bring a sense of closure to the topic of the crucial role played by
voting. Important ideas should be noted on the board and recorded by the students in
their notebooks. (Five to ten minutes.)
Homework—Have students write a one-page written proposal of strategies to address
the declining voter turnout rate.
EXTENSION
a) Create a poster or brochure entitled, “Voting is not important; it’s ESSENTIAL.”
b) Draw a political cartoon that depicts the importance of voting.
c) Create and then administer a survey on whether students in the school intend to
vote when they become eligible to do so. Why or why not?
ASSESSMENT
See “Lesson 6 Quiz—True/False” in Appendix.
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Handout #1—MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF VOTING IN CANADA
• 1867.
Confederation--Canada is created. First-past-the-post system (FPTP) for elections is
adopted.
Background: When three of the remaining British colonies in North American federated
in 1867, the new Dominion of Canada naturally adopted British institutions of electoral
democracy and the FPTP system. Voters vote for one candidate only by marking an “x”
next to their preferred candidate on their ballot. Whoever gets the most votes in an
electoral district (riding) wins the seat for that electoral district and becomes the
electoral district’s Member of Parliament (federal) or Member of Provincial Parliament
(Ontario). The political party that wins the most seats usually forms the
government. Today, the 308 Members of Parliament and the 107 members of the
Ontario Legislative Assembly are elected through FPTP. Under this system, there is one
elected member for each of Canada’s 308 electoral districts and Ontario’s 107
provincial electoral districts.
• 1874.
The secret ballot is introduced for provincial elections in Ontario and for federal
elections.
Elections are held on the same day for all electoral districts.
• 1884.
Widows and unmarried women are the first women given the right to vote in Ontario
municipal elections.
• 1900.
According to the Dominion Elections Act, S.C. 1900 the only people who can vote in
federal elections are the people who are allowed to vote in provincial elections. Visible
minorities, Aboriginal peoples and women are not allowed to vote in their provincial
elections in 1900, so this Act means that they are not allowed to vote in federal
elections either.
• 1915.
The right to vote by mail is granted to military electors on active duty (WWI).
• 1916.
Manitoba becomes the first province to extend the right to vote to women in their
provincial elections.
Women in Saskatchewan are granted the right to vote in their provincial elections.
Women in Alberta gain the right to vote in their provincial elections.
• 1917.
The Military Voters Act is passed. Women and men who are active or retired members
of the military, including First Nations peoples and military nurses caring for wounded
soldiers in Europe in WWI, (they are called the "Bluebirds") obtain the right to vote in
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federal elections. The “Bluebirds” are the first women with the right to vote in a federal
election.
Women in British Columbia acquire the right to vote in their provincial elections.
Women in Ontario win the right to vote in their provincial elections.
• 1918.
Women in Nova Scotia obtain the right to vote in their provincial elections.
Women who are 21 years of age and older; win the right to vote in federal elections (An
Act to confer the Electoral Franchise upon Women, 1918).
• 1919.
Allan Dymond is appointed as first Chief Election Officer of Ontario.
Women in New Brunswick secure the right to vote in their provincial elections.
Women become eligible to be candidates for election to the House of Commons.
• 1920.
The federal government gives everyone the right to vote in federal elections except for
some minorities and most Aboriginal persons. Advance polling is introduced, but only
for commercial travelers, sailors and railway men. (While technically Aboriginal persons
(First Nations, Métis, Inuit) had the right to vote in federal elections, in practical terms,
there were many barriers preventing most from voting.)
Colonel Oliver Mowat Biggar is appointed as Canada’s first Chief Electoral Officer.
• 1921.
Agnes Macphail becomes the first woman elected to the federal Parliament.
• 1922.
Women in Prince Edward Island win the right to vote in their provincial elections.
• 1925.
Women in Newfoundland secure the right to vote in their colonial elections
(Newfoundland joined Confederation only in 1949, thus women won the right to vote in
the colonial elections.).
• 1940.
Women in Quebec win the right to vote in their provincial elections.
• 1960.
First Nations persons are no longer required to give up their status as First Nations
persons to vote in federal elections.
• 1970.
The voting age and the age required to be a candidate in federal elections is lowered
from age 21 to age 18.
•
1971.
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The right to vote in Ontario provincial elections is lowered from age 21 to age 18.
• 1982.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is enacted as part of the Constitution
Act, 1982. The Charter includes protection of fundamental rights, democratic rights,
mobility rights, legal rights, equality rights and linguistic rights. It protects equality
between men and women and the rights of all citizens including minorities. The
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms defines constitutional rights and freedoms,
including the freedom of opinion and expression, the universal right to vote and to be a
candidate in a legislative election, and the right to equal protection and equal benefit of
the law without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion,
sex, age or mental or physical disability. These rights and freedoms are subject only to
reasonable limits, prescribed by law that can be demonstrably justified in a free and
democratic society. The CCRF is part of the Constitution Act of 1982.
(http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=ces&document=part4&lang=e#47)
• 1992.
The federal Parliament passes changes to the Canada Elections Act, the law that
explains how elections take place in Canada, to improve access for voting for people
with disabilities. (Bill C-78 of the Canada Elections Act). These include requirements for
mobile polls at institutions where seniors or persons with disabilities reside; level access
at all ordinary polling stations and, where this is not possible, the use of transfer
certificates; and a template for use by electors who are visually impaired.
• 1993.
Parliament passes legislation to allow inmates serving sentences of less than two years
to vote in federal elections.
The right to vote in federal elections is also extended to judges and persons with mental
disabilities.
Canadians who cannot vote at their regular location are given permission to vote in
federal elections by “special ballot” (i.e., mail-in ballot). The ballot can be used by
students away from home, people on vacation, people traveling outside Canada for
work or people living temporarily outside of Canada.
• 1998.
Persons with no permanent lodging are given the right to vote in provincial elections in
Ontario.
• 2000.
Persons with no permanent lodging are given the right to vote in federal elections.
• 2007.
The title Chief Election Officer is changed to Chief Electoral Officer in Ontario (to be
consistent with other Canadian jurisdictions).
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• 2010.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Ontario is required to make available accessible
voting equipment that allows electors with disabilities to mark their ballots independently
without the assistance of other persons.
Elections Ontario Returning Officers are required to ensure that all polling places are
accessible to electors with disabilities. The CEO of Ontario is required to publish on a
website on the Internet, the locations of all polling places six months before a general
election (Election Act, Ontario).
Page 45 of 113
HANDOUT #2 - Voter Turnout at Ontario General Elections
(adapted from “Statistics From the Records” at www.elections.on.ca)
General Election Date: Aug 1867
• Number of Seats: 82;
• Names on List: 215,722;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 159,323;
• Percentage of List: 73.9.
General Election Date: March 21,1871
• Number of Seats: 82;
• Names on List: 207,717;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 130,711;
• Percentage of List: 62.9.
General Election Date: January 18,1975
• Number of Seats: 88;
• Names on List: 283,856;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 190,966;
• Percentage of List: 67.3.
General Election Date: June 5, 1879
• Number of Seats: 88;
• Names on List: 392,085;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 247,857;
• Percentage of List: 63.2.
General Election Date: February 27,1883
• Number of Seats: 88;
• Names on List: 384,255;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 259,376;
• Percentage of List: 66.7.
General Election Date: December 28, 1886
• Number of Seats: 90;
• Names on List: 463,025;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 316,606;
• Percentage of List: 66.5.
General Election Date: June 5, 1890
• Number of Seats: 91;
• Names on List: 485,672;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 326,671;
• Percentage of List: 64.2.
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General Election Date: June 26, 1894
• Number of Seats: 94;
• Names on List: 539,358;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 357,277;
• Percentage of List: 69.1.
General Election Date: March 1, 1898
• Number of Seats: 94;
• Names on List: 550,805;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 427,823;
• Percentage of List: 74.4.
General Election Date: May 29, 1902
• Number of Seats: 98;
• Names on List: 595,381;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 434,767;
• Percentage of List: 71.3.
General Election Date: January 25, 1905
• Number of Seats: 98;
• Names on List: 604,666;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 447,203;
• Percentage of List: 70.4.
General Election Date: June 8, 1908
• Number of Seats: 106;
• Names on List: 622,751;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 457,209;
• Percentage of List: 69.3.
General Election Date: December 11, 1911
• Number of Seats: 106;
• Names on List: 583,909;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 373,802;
• Percentage of List: 62.6.
General Election Date: June 29, 1914
• Number of Seats: 111;
• Names on List: 697,935;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 504,442;
• Percentage of List: 67.
General Election Date: October 20, 1919
• Number of Seats: 111;
• Names on List: 1,378,721;
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•
•
Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,224,443;
Percentage of List: 72.6.
General Election Date: June 25, 1923
• Number of Seats: 111;
• Names on List: 1,655,312;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 966,691;
• Percentage of List: 54.7.
General Election Date: December 1, 1926
• Number of Seats: 112;
• Names on List: 1,792,757;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,153,187;
• Percentage of List: 63.5.
General Election Date: October 30, 1929
• Number of Seats: 112;
• Names on List: 1,804,932;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,022,119;
• Percentage of List: 56.2.
General Election Date: June 19, 1934
• Number of Seats: 90;
• Names on List: 2,130,420;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,561,826;
• Percentage of List: 73.3.
General Election Date: October 6, 1937
• Number of Seats: 90;
• Names on List: 2,228,030;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,571,133;
• Percentage of List: 70.5.
General Election Date: August 4, 1943
• Number of Seats: 90;
• Names on List: 2,269,895;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,313,939;
• Percentage of List: 57.6.
General Election Date: June 4, 1945;
• Number of Seats: 90;
• Names on List: 2,469,960;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,765,793;
• Percentage of List: 71.5.
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General Election Date: June 4, 1948;
• Number of Seats: 90;
• Names on List: 2,623,281;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,758,037;
• Percentage of List: 67.
General Election Date: November 22, 1951;
• Number of Seats: 90;
• Names on List: 2,750,709;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,776,616;
• Percentage of List: 64.6.
General Election Date: June 9, 1955;
• Number of Seats: 98;
• Names on List: 2,905,760;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,784,147;
• Percentage of List: 61.4.
General Election Date: June 11, 1959;
• Number of Seats: 98;
• Names on List: 3,196,801;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 1,903,845;
• Percentage of List: 59.6.
General Election Date: September 25, 1963;
• Number of Seats: 108;
• Names on List: 3,437,834;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 2,184,078;
• Percentage of List: 63.5
General Election Date: October 17, 1967;
• Number of Seats: 117;
• Names on List: 3,685,755;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 2,439,238;
• Percentage of List: 66.2
General Election Date: October 21, 1971;
• Number of Seats: 117;
• Names on List: 4,503,142;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 3,310,776;
• Percentage of List: 73.5
General Election Date: September 18, 1975;
• Number of Seats: 125;
• Names on List: 4,901,837;
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•
•
Valid Votes Cast Total: 3,324,334;
Percentage of List: 67.8
General Election Date: June 9, 1977;
• Number of Seats: 125;
• Names on List: 5,123,768;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 3,361,433;
• Percentage of List: 65.6
General Election Date: March 19, 1981;
• Number of Seats: 125;
• Names on List: 5519204:
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 3203281;
• Percentage of List: 58
General Election Date: May 2, 1985;
• Number of Seats: 125;
• Names on List: 5,950,295;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 3,662,133;
• Percentage of List: 61.5
General Election Date: September 10, 1987;
• Number of Seats: 130;
• Names on List: 6,067,378;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 3,803,969;
• Percentage of List: 62.7
General Election Date: September 6, 1990;
• Number of Seats: 130;
• Names on List: 6,315,949;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 4,070,654;
• Percentage of List: 64.4
General Election Date: June 8, 1995;
• Number of Seats: 130;
• Names on List: 6,667,798;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 4,200,522;
• Percentage of List: 63
General Election Date: June 3, 1999;
• Number of Seats: 103;
• Names on List: 7,598,407;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 4,430,611;
• Percentage of List: 58.3
Page 50 of 113
General Election Date: October 2, 2003;
• Number of Seats: 103;
• Names on List: 7,962,607;
• Valid Votes Cast Total: 4,528,167;
• Percentage of List: 56.8
Page 51 of 113
HANDOUT #3 - Percentage of Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and
Referendums by Province and Territory
(adapted from “A History of the Vote in Canada” Table 2 at Election Canada’s website
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=his&document=appx&lang=e )
Date of election / referendum: August 7 – September 20, 1867
• Nova Scotia: 77;
• New Brunswick: 71;
• Quebec: 69;
• Ontario: 75;
• Canada: 73.
Date of election / referendum: July 20 – October 12, 1872
• Nova Scotia: 59;
• New Brunswick: 80;
• Quebec: 67;
• Ontario: 72;
• Manitoba: 86;
• British Columbia: 51;
• Canada: 70.
Date of election / referendum: January 22, 1874
• Nova Scotia: 67;
• New Brunswick: 66;
• Quebec: 62;
• Ontario: 71;
• Manitoba: 70;
• British Columbia: 58;
• Canada: 70.
Date of election / referendum: September 17, 1878
• Prince Edward Island: 65;
• Nova Scotia: 79;
• New Brunswick: 73;
• Quebec: 67;
• Ontario: 68;
• Manitoba: 51;
• British Columbia: 70;
• Canada: 69.
Date of election / referendum: June 20, 1882
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Nova Scotia: 71;
New Brunswick: 73;
Quebec: 67;
Ontario: 70;
Manitoba: 32;
British Columbia: 68;
Canada: 70.
Date of election / referendum: February 22, 1887
• Prince Edward Island: 86;
• Nova Scotia: 81;
• New Brunswick: 77;
• Quebec: 68;
• Ontario: 69;
• Manitoba: 46;
• British Columbia: 56;
• Northwest Territories: 70;
• Canada: 70.
Date of election / referendum: March 5, 1891
• Prince Edward Island: 77;
• Nova Scotia: 75;
• New Brunswick: 69;
• Quebec: 66;
• Ontario: 63;
• Manitoba: 42;
• British Columbia: 47;
• Northwest Territories: 64;
• Canada: 64.
Date of election / referendum: June 23, 1896
• Prince Edward Island: 74;
• Nova Scotia: 68;
• New Brunswick: 70;
• Quebec: 66;
• Ontario: 61;
• Manitoba: 50;
• British Columbia: 40;
• Northwest Territories: 71;
• Canada: 63.
Date of election / referendum: September 29, 1898
• Prince Edward Island: 46;
• Nova Scotia: 40;
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New Brunswick: 41;
Quebec: 46;
Ontario: 47;
Manitoba: 32;
British Columbia: 30;
Northwest Territories: 38;
Canada: 45.
Date of election / referendum: November 7, 1900
• Prince Edward Island: ;
• Nova Scotia: 77;
• New Brunswick: 73;
• Quebec: 70;
• Ontario: 70;
• Manitoba: 65;
• British Columbia: 69;
• Northwest Territories: 76;
• Canada: 77.
Date of election / referendum: November 3, 1904
• Nova Scotia: 73;
• New Brunswick: 77;
• Quebec: 70;
• Ontario: 77;
• Manitoba: 69;
• British Columbia: 56;
• Northwest Territories: 72;
• Canada: 72.
Date of election / referendum: October 26, 1908
• Nova Scotia: 73;
• New Brunswick: 78;
• Quebec: 69;
• Ontario: 68;
• Manitoba: 81;
• British Columbia: 54;
• Yukon: 87;
• Canada: 70.
Date of election / referendum: September 21 1911
• Nova Scotia: 83;
• New Brunswick: 78;
• Quebec: 71;
• Ontario: 69;
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Manitoba: 79;
Saskatchewan: 63;
Alberta: 65;
British Columbia: 53;
Yukon: 83;
Canada: 70.
Date of election / referendum: December 17, 1917
• Prince Edward Island: 76;
• Nova Scotia: 80;
• New Brunswick: 89;
• Quebec: 76;
• Ontario: 79;
• Manitoba: 79;
• Saskatchewan: 70;
• Alberta: 76;
• British Columbia: 83;
• Yukon: 56;
• Canada: 75.
Date of election / referendum: December 6, 1921
• Prince Edward Island: 79;
• Nova Scotia: 69;
• New Brunswick: 64;
• Quebec: 75;
• Ontario: 63;
• Manitoba: 65;
• Saskatchewan: 67;
• Alberta: 63;
• British Columbia: 67;
• Yukon: 83;
• Canada: 68.
Date of election / referendum: October 29, 1925
• Prince Edward Island: 76;
• Nova Scotia: 70;
• New Brunswick: 61;
• Quebec: 72;
• Ontario: 65;
• Manitoba: 68;
• Saskatchewan: 57;
• Alberta: 57;
• British Columbia: 75;
• Yukon: 78;
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Canada: 66.
Date of election / referendum: September 14, 1926
• Prince Edward Island: 84;
• Nova Scotia: 72;
• New Brunswick: 68;
• Quebec: 71;
• Ontario: 64;
• Manitoba: 77;
• Saskatchewan: 70;
• Alberta: 57;
• British Columbia: 71;
• Yukon: 80;
• Canada: 68.
Date of election / referendum: July 28, 1930
• Prince Edward Island: 89;
• Nova Scotia: 83;
• New Brunswick: 78;
• Quebec: 76;
• Ontario: 69;
• Manitoba: 72;
• Saskatchewan: 81;
• Alberta: 66;
• British Columbia: 73;
• Yukon: 82;
• Canada: 73.
Date of election / referendum: October 14, 1935
• Prince Edward Island: 80;
• Nova Scotia: 76;
• New Brunswick: 77;
• Quebec: 74;
• Ontario: 74;
• Manitoba: 75;
• Saskatchewan: 77;
• Alberta: 65;
• British Columbia: 76;
• Yukon: 70;
• Canada: 74.
Date of election / referendum: March 26, 1940
• Prince Edward Island: 78;
• Nova Scotia: 70;
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New Brunswick: 68;
Quebec: 66;
Ontario: 69;
Manitoba: 74;
Saskatchewan: 77;
Alberta: 63;
British Columbia: 76;
Yukon: 82;
Canada: 70.
Date of election / referendum: April 27, 1942
• Prince Edward Island: 57;
• Nova Scotia: 45;
• New Brunswick: 63;
• Quebec: 76;
• Ontario: 64;
• Manitoba: 67;
• Saskatchewan: 59;
• Alberta: 65;
• British Columbia: 69;
• Northwest Territories: 62;
• Yukon: 58;
• Canada: 71.
Date of election / referendum: June 11, 1945
• Prince Edward Island: 81;
• Nova Scotia: 72;
• New Brunswick: 78;
• Quebec: 73;
• Ontario: 75;
• Manitoba: 76;
• Saskatchewan: 85;
• Alberta: 73;
• British Columbia: 80;
• Yukon: 63;
• Canada: 75.
Date of election / referendum: June 27, 1949
• Prince Edward Island: 85;
• Nova Scotia: 75;
• New Brunswick: 79;
• Quebec: 74;
• Ontario: 75;
• Manitoba: 72;
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Saskatchewan: 79;
Alberta: 69;
British Columbia: 69;
Yukon: 76;
Canada:74.
Date of election / referendum: August 10, 1953
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 57;
• Prince Edward Island: 83;
• Nova Scotia: 72;
• New Brunswick: 78;
• Quebec: 69;
• Ontario: 67;
• Manitoba: 59;
• Saskatchewan: 74;
• Alberta: 63;
• British Columbia: 65;
• Northwest Territories: 63;
• Yukon: 76;
• Canada: 67.
Date of election / referendum: June 10, 1957
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 52;
• Prince Edward Island: 85;
• Nova Scotia: 81;
• New Brunswick: 81;
• Quebec: 72;
• Ontario: 74;
• Manitoba: 74;
• Saskatchewan: 81;
• Alberta: 73;
• British Columbia: 74;
• Northwest Territories: 63;
• Yukon: 89;
• Canada: 74.
Date of election / referendum: March 31, 1958
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 79;
• Prince Edward Island: 88;
• Nova Scotia: 84;
• New Brunswick: 85;
• Quebec: 79;
• Ontario: 79;
• Manitoba: 80;
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Saskatchewan: 82;
Alberta: 74;
British Columbia: 76;
Northwest Territories: 74;
Yukon: 90;
Canada: 79.
Date of election / referendum: June 18, 1962
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 72;
• Prince Edward Island: 90;
• Nova Scotia: 84;
• New Brunswick: 83;
• Quebec: 78;
• Ontario: 80;
• Manitoba: 77;
• Saskatchewan: 85;
• Alberta: 74;
• British Columbia: 78;
• Northwest Territories: 72;
• Yukon: 88;
• Canada: 79.
Date of election / referendum: April 8, 1963
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 69;
• Prince Edward Island: 84;
• Nova Scotia: 82;
• New Brunswick: 81;
• Quebec: 76;
• Ontario: 81;
• Manitoba: 78;
• Saskatchewan: 83;
• Alberta: 79;
• British Columbia: 80;
• Northwest Territories: 73;
• Yukon: 88;
• Canada: 79.
Date of election / referendum: November 8, 1965
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 66;
• Prince Edward Island: 88;
• Nova Scotia: 82;
• New Brunswick: 80;
• Quebec: 71;
• Ontario: 77;
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Manitoba: 74;
Saskatchewan: 80;
Alberta: 74;
British Columbia: 75;
Northwest Territories: 76;
Yukon: 86;
Canada: 75.
Date of election / referendum: June 25, 1968
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 68;
• Prince Edward Island: 88;
• Nova Scotia: 82;
• New Brunswick: 80;
• Quebec: 72;
• Ontario: 77;
• Manitoba: 76;
• Saskatchewan: 81;
• Alberta: 73;
• British Columbia: 76;
• Northwest Territories: 69;
• Yukon: 87;
• Canada: 76.
Date of election / referendum: October 30, 1972
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 63;
• Prince Edward Island: 86;
• Nova Scotia: 80;
• New Brunswick: 77;
• Quebec: 76;
• Ontario: 79;
• Manitoba: 74;
• Saskatchewan: 79;
• Alberta: 76;
• British Columbia: 73;
• Northwest Territories: 73;
• Yukon: 79;
• Canada: 77.
Date of election / referendum: July 8, 1974
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 57;
• Prince Edward Island: 80;
• Nova Scotia: 74;
• New Brunswick: 71;
• Quebec: 67;
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Ontario: 74;
Manitoba: 70;
Saskatchewan: 72;
Alberta: 67;
British Columbia: 72;
Northwest Territories: 61;
Yukon: 67;
Canada: 71.
Date of election / referendum: May 22, 1979
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 60;
• Prince Edward Island: 81;
• Nova Scotia: 75;
• New Brunswick: 74;
• Quebec: 76;
• Ontario: 78;
• Manitoba: 77;
• Saskatchewan: 79;
• Alberta: 68;
• British Columbia: 75;
• Northwest Territories: 70;
• Yukon: 74;
• Canada: 76.
Date of election / referendum: February 18, 1980
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 59;
• Prince Edward Island: 79;
• Nova Scotia: 72;
• New Brunswick: 71;
• Quebec: 68;
• Ontario: 72;
• Manitoba: 69;
• Saskatchewan: 71;
• Alberta: 61;
• British Columbia: 71;
• Northwest Territories: 67;
• Yukon: 69;
• Canada: 69.
Date of election / referendum: September 4, 1984
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 65;
• Prince Edward Island: 85;
• Nova Scotia: 75;
• New Brunswick: 77;
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Quebec: 76;
Ontario: 76;
Manitoba: 73;
Saskatchewan: 78;
Alberta: 69;
British Columbia: 78;
Northwest Territories: 68;
Yukon: 78;
Canada: 75.
Date of election / referendum: November 21, 1988
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 67;
• Prince Edward Island: 85;
• Nova Scotia: 75;
• New Brunswick: 76;
• Quebec: 75;
• Ontario: 75;
• Manitoba: 75;
• Saskatchewan: 78;
• Alberta: 75;
• British Columbia: 79;
• Northwest Territories: 71;
• Yukon: 78;
• Canada: 75.
Date of election / referendum: October 26, 1992
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 53;
• Prince Edward Island: 71;
• Nova Scotia: 68;
• New Brunswick: 72;
• Quebec: ;
• Ontario: 72;
• Manitoba: 71;
• Saskatchewan: 69;
• Alberta: 73;
• British Columbia: 77;
• Northwest Territories: 70;
• Yukon: 70;
• Canada: 72.
Date of election / referendum: October 25, 1993
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 55;
• Prince Edward Island: 73;
• Nova Scotia: 64;
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New Brunswick: 69;
Quebec: 77;
Ontario: 67;
Manitoba: 68;
Saskatchewan: 69;
Alberta: 65;
British Columbia: 67;
Northwest Territories: 63;
Yukon: 70;
Canada: 70.
Date of election / referendum: June 2, 1997
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 55;
• Prince Edward Island: 73;
• Nova Scotia: 69;
• New Brunswick: 73;
• Quebec: 73;
• Ontario: 66;
• Manitoba: 63;
• Saskatchewan: 65;
• Alberta: 59;
• British Columbia: 66;
• Northwest Territories: 59;
• Yukon: 70;
• Canada: 67.
Date of election / referendum: November 27, 2000
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 57;
• Prince Edward Island: 73;
• Nova Scotia: 63;
• New Brunswick: 68;
• Quebec: 64;
• Ontario: 58;
• Manitoba: 62;
• Saskatchewan: 62;
• Alberta: 60;
• British Columbia: 63;
• Northwest Territories: 52;
• Yukon: 64;
• Nunavut: 54;
• Canada: 61.
Date of election / referendum: June 28, 2004
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 49;
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Prince Edward Island: 71;
Nova Scotia: 62;
New Brunswick: 63;
Quebec: 61;
Ontario: 62;
Manitoba: 57;
Saskatchewan: 59;
Alberta: 59;
British Columbia: 63;
Northwest Territories: 47;
Yukon: 62;
Nunavut: 44;
Canada: 61.
Date of election / referendum: January 23, 2006
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 57;
• Prince Edward Island: 73;
• Nova Scotia: 64;
• New Brunswick: 69;
• Quebec: 64;
• Ontario: 67;
• Manitoba: 62;
• Saskatchewan: 65;
• Alberta: 62;
• British Columbia: 64;
• Northwest Territories: 56;
• Yukon: 66;
• Nunavut: 54;
• Canada: 65.
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HANDOUT #4 - Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums,
1867–2008
(adapted from “A History of the Vote in Canada” Table 1 at Elections Canada’s website
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=his&document=appx&lang=e )
Date of election / referendum: August 7 – September 20, 1867
• Population: 3,230,000
• Number of electors on lists: 361,028
• Total ballots cast: 268,387
• Voter turnout in percentage: 73.1
Date of election / referendum: July 20 – October 12, 1872
• Population: 3,689,000
• Number of electors on lists: 426,974
• Total ballots cast: 318,329
• Voter turnout in percentage: 70.3
Date of election / referendum: January 22, 1874
• Population: 3,689,000
• Number of electors on lists: 432,410
• Total ballots cast: 324,006
• Voter turnout in percentage: 69.6
Date of election / referendum: September 17, 1878
• Population: 3,689,000
• Number of electors on lists: 715,279
• Total ballots cast: 534,029
• Voter turnout in percentage: 69.1
Date of election / referendum: June 20, 1882
• Population: 4,325,000
• Number of electors on lists: 663,873
• Total ballots cast: 508,496
• Voter turnout in percentage: 70.3
Date of election / referendum: February 22, 1887
• Population: 4,325,000
• Number of electors on lists: 948,222
• Total ballots cast: 724,517
• Voter turnout in percentage: 70.1
Date of election / referendum: March 5, 1891
• Population: 4,833,000
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Number of electors on lists: 1,113,140
Total ballots cast: 778,495
Voter turnout in percentage: 64.5
Date of election / referendum: June 23, 1896
• Population: 4,833,000
• Number of electors on lists: 1,358,328
• Total ballots cast: 912,992
• Voter turnout in percentage: 62. 9
Date of election / referendum: September 29, 1898
• Population: 4,833,000
• Number of electors on lists: 1,236,419
• Total ballots cast: 551,405
• Voter turnout in percentage: 44.6
Date of election / referendum: November 7, 1900
• Population: 4,833,000
• Number of electors on lists: 1,167,402
• Total ballots cast: 958,497
• Voter turnout in percentage: 77.5
Date of election / referendum: November 3, 1904
• Population: 5371000
• Number of electors on lists: 1,385,440
• Total ballots cast: 1,036,878
• Voter turnout in percentage: 71.6
Date of election / referendum: October 26, 1908
• Population: 5,371,000
• Number of electors on lists: 1,463,591
• Total ballots cast: 1,180,820
• Voter turnout in percentage: 70.3
Date of election / referendum: September 21, 1911
• Population: 7,204,527
• Number of electors on lists: 1,820,742
• Total ballots cast: 1,314,953
• Voter turnout in percentage: 70.1
Date of election / referendum: December 17, 1917
• Population: 7,591,971
• Number of electors on lists: 2,093,799
• Total ballots cast: 1,892,741
• Voter turnout in percentage: 75
Page 66 of 113
Date of election / referendum: December 6, 1921
• Population: 8,760,211
• Number of electors on lists: 4,435,310
• Total ballots cast: 3,139,306
• Voter turnout in percentage: 67.7
Date of election / referendum: October 29, 1925
• Population: 8,776,352
• Number of electors on lists: 4,608,636
• Total ballots cast: 3,168,412
• Voter turnout in percentage: 66.5
Date of election / referendum: September 14, 1926
• Population: 8,887,952
• Number of electors on lists: 4,665,381
• Total ballots cast: 3,273,062
• Voter turnout in percentage: 67.8
Date of election / referendum: July 28, 1930
• Population: 8,887,952
• Number of electors on lists: 5,153,971
• Total ballots cast: 3,922,481
• Voter turnout in percentage: 73.5
Date of election / referendum: October 14, 1935
• Population: 10,367,063
• Number of electors on lists: 5,918,207
• Total ballots cast: 4,452,675
• Voter turnout in percentage: 74.3
Date of election / referendum: March 26, 1940
• Population: 10,429,169
• Number of electors on lists: 6,588,888
• Total ballots cast: 4,672,531
• Voter turnout in percentage: 69.9
Date of election / referendum: April 27, 1942
• Population: 11,494,627
• Number of electors on lists: 6,502,234
• Total ballots cast: 4,638,847
• Voter turnout in percentage: 71.3
Date of election / referendum: June 11, 1945
• Population: 11,494,627
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Number of electors on lists: 6,952,445
Total ballots cast: 5,305,193
Voter turnout in percentage: 75.3
Date of election / referendum: June 27, 1949
• Population: 11,823,649
• Number of electors on lists: 7,893,629
• Total ballots cast: 5,903,572
• Voter turnout in percentage: 73.8
Date of election / referendum: August 10, 1953
• Population: 14,003,704
• Number of electors on lists: 8,401,691
• Total ballots cast: 5,701,963
• Voter turnout in percentage: 67.5
Date of election / referendum: June 10, 1957
• Population: 16,073,970
• Number of electors on lists: 8,902,125
• Total ballots cast: 6,680,690
• Voter turnout in percentage: 74.1
Date of election / referendum: March 31, 1958
• Population: 16,073,970
• Number of electors on lists: 9,131,200
• Total ballots cast: 7,357,139
• Voter turnout in percentage: 79.5
Date of election / referendum: June 18, 1962
• Population: 18,238,247
• Number of electors on lists: 9,700,325
• Total ballots cast: 7,772,656
• Voter turnout in percentage: 79
Date of election / referendum: April 8, 1963
• Population: 18,238,247
• Number of electors on lists: 9,910,757
• Total ballots cast: 7,958,636
• Voter turnout in percentage: 79.3
Date of election / referendum: November 8, 1965
• Population: 18,238,247
• Number of electors on lists: 10,274,904
• Total ballots cast: 7,796,728
• Voter turnout in percentage: 74.8
Page 68 of 113
Date of election / referendum: June 25, 1968
• Population: 20,014,880
• Number of electors on lists: 10,860,888
• Total ballots cast: 8,217,916
• Voter turnout in percentage: 75.8
Date of election / referendum: October 30, 1972
• Population: 21,568,311
• Number of electors on lists: 13,000,778
• Total ballots cast: 9,974,661
• Voter turnout in percentage: 76.8
Date of election / referendum: July 8, 1974
• Population: 21,568,311
• Number of electors on lists: 13,620,353
• Total ballots cast: 9,671,002
• Voter turnout in percentage: 71
Date of election / referendum: May 22, 1979
• Population: 22,992,604
• Number of electors on lists: 15,233,653
• Total ballots cast: 11,541,000
• Voter turnout in percentage: 75.8
Date of election / referendum: February 18, 1980
• Population: 22,992,604
• Number of electors on lists: 15,890,416
• Total ballots cast: 11,015,514
• Voter turnout in percentage: 69.3
Date of election / referendum: September 4, 1984
• Population: 24,343,181
• Number of electors on lists: 16,774,941
• Total ballots cast: 12,638,424
• Voter turnout in percentage: 75.3
Date of election / referendum: November 21, 1988
• Population: 25,309,331
• Number of electors on lists: 17,639,001
• Total ballots cast: 13,281,191
• Voter turnout in percentage: 75.3
Date of election / referendum: October 26, 1992
• Population: 20,400,896
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Number of electors on lists: 13,725,966
Total ballots cast: 9,855,978
Voter turnout in percentage: 71.8
Date of election / referendum: October 25, 1993
• Population: 27,296,859
• Number of electors on lists: 19,906,796
• Total ballots cast: 13,863,135
• Voter turnout in percentage: 69.6
Date of election / referendum: June 2, 1997
• Population: 27,296,859
• Number of electors on lists: 19,663,478
• Total ballots cast: 13,174,698
• Voter turnout in percentage: 67
Date of election / referendum: November 27, 2000
• Population: 28,846,761
• Number of electors on lists: 21,243,473
• Total ballots cast: 12,997,185
• Voter turnout in percentage: 64.1
Date of election / referendum: June 28, 2004
• Population: 30,007,094
• Number of electors on lists: 22,466,621
• Total ballots cast: 13,683,570
• Voter turnout in percentage: 60.9
Date of election / referendum: January 23, 2006
• Population: 30,007,094
• Number of electors on lists: 23,054,615
• Total ballots cast: 14,908,703
• Voter turnout in percentage: 64.7
Date of election / referendum: October 14,2008
• Population: 32,976,026
• Number of electors on lists: 23,677,639
• Total ballots cast: 13,929,093
• Voter turnout in percentage: 58.8
Page 70 of 113
LESSON 7: VOTING, VALUES, AND REPRESENTATION
BACKGROUND
It is essential that citizens understand and appreciate that voting in Canada is fair,
accessible, legitimate, peaceful, and based on integrity. It is also important to know that
the electoral process is inclusive and accessible so that the voices and values of all
voters can be represented. Canadians have created, through their elected
representatives, an electoral process that is able to communicate the values and issues
of as many Canadians as possible to the government through the act of voting.
For all Canadians, the democratic rights of citizens are guaranteed through the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms—it guarantees citizens the right to vote and
run for office, and provides a guarantee of equality rights to persons with disabilities.
The non-partisan agencies, Elections Ontario and Elections Canada that run elections
in Ontario and Canada, must fulfill legislative requirements and have developed
solutions to remove barriers that may prevent people from voting. They also make the
electoral process as convenient and easy as possible.
All voters must have the opportunity to vote. In compliance with provincial and federal
legislation, Elections Ontario and Elections Canada conduct advance polls for general
elections and by-elections. Voters who are not able to vote on Election Day can cast
their votes early at an advance poll. As well, voters who are away on Election Day can
vote by special ballot. Special ballot voting in Ontario provides voters who are not able
or who do not wish to cast their ballot in person at advance polls or on Election Day,
with an opportunity to cast their ballot either in person at their local returning office or by
mail, anytime from 28 days ahead of Election Day to the day before Election Day.
In Ontario, the Election Act includes important references to accessibility. For example,
polling places must be inspected before Election Day for accessibility. The Chief
Electoral Officer of Ontario is required to publish on the Internet the proposed sites of all
voting locations, six months before Election Day. Citizens have the opportunity to review
and comment on suggested voting locations to help make sure all voting locations are
accessible to voters with disabilities.
In compliance with the Customer Service Standards under the Accessibility for
Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), Elections Ontario trains election officials
on how to provide customer service to voters who require assistance. As well, there are
processes that enable voters with all levels of abilities to participate in voting. For
example, at the polls, magnifying sheets and ballot templates are available to voters
with a visual impairment.
Similarly, for federal elections voters have a number of voting options to exercise their
right to cast a ballot. These options include using a Braille voting template or large-print
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list of candidates at the polls or requesting sign language interpretation (in advance).
On-site assistance and level access to polling sites is also available. As in Ontario
provincial elections, voters may ask a friend, spouse, common-law partner, a relative, or
polling official to help mark a ballot.
Elections Canada is also working on a number of initiatives to ensure that voting is and
continues to be as accessible as possible for all Canadians. These include revised
procedures for verifying the accessibility of polling sites and a revised standard lease for
polling locations to emphasize the need for barrier-free locations. Sufficient and
appropriate signage will be provided at elections, including the universal accessibility
symbol. New accessibility training will be provided for Elections Canada staff and
Returning Officers including the updating of training materials and improved
accessibility checklist and guidelines.
These are just a few of the requirements and details about the voting processes that
Elections Ontario and Elections Canada must consider now and in the future to make
sure voting is accessible to all. The accessibility and inclusivity of our electoral process
help make representation possible so that the values and issues of as many Canadians
as possible are communicated to the government through the act of voting.
LESSON PLAN
Voting, Values, and Representation
FOCUS
•
Have students understand the relationship between values and voting.
OUTCOMES
•
•
•
Students will understand some of their own values and how they are reflected in
their government through their vote.
Students will understand some of their neighbours’ values and how they might be
reflected in voting.
Students will begin to understand and appreciate that the voting systems in
Canada and Ontario are fair, accessible, legitimate, peaceful, and founded on
integrity.
MATERIALS
•
•
•
•
•
TV/DVD
Internet access
Overhead projector (optional)
Handout #1—Electoral District Issue and Values
Sample map of Ontario’s electoral districts
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•
•
TVO Civics 101 video First Past the Post — a brief examination of what the firstpast-the-post system involves. (only available in English)
http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?videoid?24629756001
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”
LESSON
Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
Total time—5 minutes
HOOK
The teacher will brainstorm with the students in the class words that help define their
values. Try to come up with 25–30 words. As the words are written on the board,
include simple definitions such as the following:
Integrity—honesty
Fairness—just and equal treatment of all
Follow-up
1. The teacher will have each student record the four personal values that are most
important to them, as related to voting in Ontario and in Canada, in their
notebooks.
2. The teacher will lead a brief discussion to try to reach a consensus on the four
class values, related to voting, that emerge from the class. Students record the
four class values in their notebooks.
3. For each of those four class values, the teacher will ask each student to briefly
write in their notebook how that value is reflected in the Ontario and federal
political systems. How specifically is that value demonstrated in the political and
electoral systems? What, precisely, does that value “look like”?
Total time—15–20 minutes
PART A: MIND MAP
The teacher will engage the students in a brainstorming activity about current issues of
importance to Ontario and Canadian voters, and record student responses on the
board. Students should write these issues of importance in their notes.
1. Students will construct individual Mind Maps. In the centre of their map, they will
write down the four personal values from the last exercise. Around the perimeter,
they will write down the issues that are important to them from the current
brainstorming session. They can add other related value words from the hook
activity to make a record of their personal issues and values.
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2. Students will then compare their own results with a partner’s to see if they have
shared values but are interested in different issues, to see if similar or divergent
values have led them to an interest in the same issue, etc.
3. Have students arrange themselves in a number of different groupings to see who
shares the same first-ranked issue, the same second-ranked issue, the same
third-ranked issue, and students with whom they share no common issue.
The teacher will conduct a brief discussion that emphasizes the diversity of opinions
within the classroom and within any political community, and that it is important to
participate because representation of opinions is determined by which parties and
candidates come forward to compete. Stress the challenge posed to a non-partisan
agency like Elections Ontario or Elections Canada to ensure that everyone has the
opportunity to compete and that those who compete have fair access to the system.
Total time—20–30 minutes
PART B: NEIGHBOURS’ VALUES
1. The teacher shows the TVO’s Civics 101 video First Past the Post (time: 3:13).
(only available in English) This is part of TVO’s Civics 101 series, and outlines
the basic features of the first–past–the–post system.
http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?videoid?24629756001
2. The teacher will assign one Ontario federal electoral district to each student from
the list and maps provided at the following websites: (Ideally, the electoral
districts assigned to each student should be far removed from one another. If
students have completed the similar activity in Lesson 5, they may wish to refer
back to their work in that activity to assist in completing this one.)
o Map of Federal Electoral Districts in Ontario
http://www.elections.ca/res/cir/maps/images/provinces/ON.jpg
o List of Federal Electoral Districts by Province and Territory
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/list&document=i
ndex&lang=e
3. The teacher will distribute Handout #1, “Electoral District Issues and Values” to
each student.
4. In the time remaining, students will begin filling in the “Electoral District Issues
and Values” handout. Using the geography, industry, and culture of the electoral
district, students will speculate on the three most important issues in each of their
assigned electoral districts as well as the three top values for each of those
electoral districts. (Fifteen minutes.)
5. For homework, students should do some Internet research by trying to fill in the
“Electoral District Issues and Values” handout more completely.
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6. Either to bring closure to the lesson today or to open the next lesson, the teacher
should ask, “What is the most significant conclusion you can make with what we
have done?” (The answer—There is tremendous diversity represented within the
106 federal electoral districts in Ontario.)
Teacher Note:
Major communities within the electoral district will have a website that can help students
find out major characteristics of their electoral district. The following websites may also
be useful:
o Elections Canada http://www.elections.ca/home.aspx
o Elections Ontario http://www.elections.on.ca/
o Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.gc.ca/
CLOSURE
As a class, predict what will be the three most important values that will influence voting
in the next provincial/territorial, federal or municipal election.
Teacher note:
Remind students that areas of responsibility differ between the federal and provincial
levels. If the students have completed Lesson 5, they may want to refer back to the
levels of government activity as a point of reference to inform which values will influence
voting in the next provincial/territorial or federal elections.
EXTENSION
Choice
a) Analyze the three most important values that influenced voting 50 years ago. Are
those three values still important today? If so, why? If not, why not?
b) Write a one-page position paper entitled, “The Changing Nature of Political
Leadership.”
c) What factors have changed the demands that voters make of their political
representatives?
ASSESSMENT
See “Lesson 7 Quiz—Multiple Choice” in Appendix.
Handout #1—Electoral District Issues and Values
Instructions: You have been assigned the task of researching a federal electoral district
within Ontario. Research your electoral district through appropriate websites (cities,
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towns, Elections Ontario, Elections Canada, Statistics Canada, etc.) in order to fill in, as
comprehensively as possible, the chart provided. Try to identify the key issues within
your assigned electoral district, and then analyze what values those issues could
produce.
www.elections.ca—Voter Information Service (by writing in a postal code, basic
thumbnail information about the electoral district will be available i.e., population, eligible
voters, number of federal polling stations, MP, map, area in square kilometres).
http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92595/p2c.cfm?TPL=INDX&LANG=E —Statistical data related to the electoral district, i.e.,
demographics, households, income, citizenship, language.
Electoral District NAME:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
KEY NUMBERS
POPULATION
MAJOR CITIES
KEY INDUSTRIES
ETHNIC BREAKDOWN
RELIGIOUS BREAKDOWN
AGE
ELECTORAL DISTRICT ISSUES
ELECTORAL DISTRICT VALUES
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LESSON 8: POLITICAL CANDIDATES: CITIZENS
REPRESENTING CITIZENS
BACKGROUND
Simply put, a candidate is a citizen seeking election to a public office. In Ontario, a
candidate in a provincial election is seeking to represent a provincial electoral district
and win a seat in the Ontario Legislature, thus becoming a Member of Provincial
Parliament (MPP). A candidate in a federal election is seeking to represent a federal
electoral district and win a seat in the House of Commons, thus becoming a Member of
Parliament (MP). Candidates can run for election as a member of a political party,
endorsed by the party and supporting the party’s ideas or they can run as independents
supporting their own ideas. Candidates must gather and submit a minimum number of
signatures from nominating electors in the district where they are running.
Almost anyone can be a candidate. At the most basic level, a candidate in an Ontario
provincial election must be at least 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, have been a
resident in Ontario for the six months preceding Election Day, and not disqualified by
the Legislative Assembly Act. A candidate in a federal election must be a Canadian
citizen who is 18 years or older on Election Day. A candidate does not need to live in or
be on the Voters List for the electoral district in which he or she is seeking election and
a candidate can seek election in only one electoral district at a time.
It is important to draw strong candidates from the community to run against one another
in election campaigns. If elected, the candidate will become the voice of and represent
the community to the government. Our political candidates come from many different
backgrounds. Their political platforms support a wide variety of issues and ideas. As an
elector, it is important that you get to know your candidates. This will ensure the
candidate you vote for has values, opinions, and ideas that reflect your own.
No matter what background political candidates come from, they share a common belief
in their ability to be elected through our democratic system and their ability to make a
significant difference by working within the system. During election campaigns, they
promote their ability to make a difference through speeches, debates, brochures,
interviews, and various media outlets. As an elector you can become informed about
your candidates through a multitude of media. Newspapers run stories and television
and radio broadcast interviews and debates with the candidates. Many candidates have
their own websites and Facebook pages. Today, you can even follow some candidates
on Twitter.
Beyond making their political platform public, candidates and their campaign teams
usually have a number of other responsibilities. Some examples include debating with
other candidates, attracting volunteers, soliciting political contributions, managing
finances, meeting the public, researching issues, managing staff, and arranging political
advertising.
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For the most part, political candidates are simply citizens who believe their ideas for
establishing priorities, making decisions, and allocating resources will be the best to
serve the needs of their electoral district and their province/territory or Canada as a
whole. It is the voters who decide which of the candidates will become MPs or MPPs.
So it is important that voters get to know the candidates and their platforms. After all, it
is the voters who must try to ensure that the candidates who become their elected
representatives support ideas and possess values and abilities that will best represent
the voters in the government. As a future voter, how will you get to know your
candidates and their platforms?
LESSON PLAN
Political Candidates: Citizens Representing Citizens
FOCUS
• Students will examine the role played by political candidates within our system
and the challenges and rewards that come with the position. As well, they might
examine the extent to which they themselves have the right stuff to be a future
political candidate.
OUTCOMES
•
•
•
Students will understand and appreciate some of the practicalities involved in
being a candidate.
Students will understand some of the benefits and rewards, as well as the
challenges and difficulties of being a political candidate.
Students will assess their suitability for a future in politics.
MATERIALS
•
•
•
•
•
•
TV/DVD
Internet access
Overhead projector (optional)
Flip-chart paper
Markers
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”
LESSON
Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
Total time —5 minutes
HOOK
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1. The teacher will begin by brainstorming with the class the following question:
“What are the most important attributes, talents, skills, and abilities that a political
candidate should possess?” Responses should be recorded on the board or
overhead projector and transferred to student’s notes. (Five to ten minutes.)
2. Working alone, have each student list a minimum of five talents or skills or
abilities that they have. Have the students then analyze which of those skills
might be useful in politics and make brief notes explaining how their particular
skills might be useful politically. (Five to ten minutes.)
PART A: Thinking like a Candidate
1. Teacher prompt: “An election has been called and we are going to learn some of the
factors a political candidate must be aware of when running for election. Thinking like a
candidate or a member of the campaign team will help you understand the political
process even if you never stand for political office, although hopefully, some, indeed
many, of you might.”
2. In a class discussion, brainstorm the activities that candidates and their campaign
teams must execute to run a successful campaign. Have the class choose the five most
interesting activities. Write the activities on the board and have students transfer them
to their notes.
3. Break the class into small groups of five. These will be the “home” groups. Each
student in the group will choose an activity from the list. They will become the
“specialist” in this activity.
4. Students will leave their “home” groups and move into “specialist” groups. The
specialist groups are made up of all the students who have chosen the same activity to
research. Students will share and compare their research with other members of their
specialist group.
5. They will then research the Elections Ontario, Elections Canada (see below), and
other websites to find information relevant to their activity, record the information, and
then return to their original “home’ group. They will share their findings and make notes
on all the activities researched.
6. To conclude Part A, each student will choose a campaign activity that they feel best
aligns with their abilities using their list of five talents or skills previously outlined in the
Hook.
Teacher Note:
Refer students to the Candidate’s Guide (a guide for candidates in Ontario elections) at
this Elections Ontario link:
http://www.elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/0500C311-A989-4626-BACA5C3F43BFECF7/0/CandidatesGuideF0405ENGLISH.pdf
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Refer students to a guide for political participants in federal elections at this Elections
Canada link:
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=pol&lang=e
PART B: Everybody Plays a Part
PART A concluded with students identifying a campaign activity or part they could play
in a political campaign, based on their skills and abilities and research on that activity.
Students will now illustrate the campaign activity. Their campaign activity should take
into account their research, their skills and abilities and the skills and abilities identified
in the Hook.
Working either individually or in pairs, students’ campaign activities may include those
below or those identified in Part A of the lesson.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
A brief campaign song or rap.
A 30― to 60―second radio commercial.
An effective slogan and logo.
A campaign poster or cartoon.
An effective and visually appealing brochure.
Students should present their work to the class, with a brief explanation of the rationale
they used to choose a particular campaign activity and why it is important to have this
activity as part of a candidate’s electoral campaign.
CLOSURE
The student will put himself or herself 10 years into the future. Students will write a
thoughtful one-page position paper on either, “Why I Want to Be a Political Candidate”
or “Why I Want to Participate in a Political Campaign.”
EXTENSION
a) Research young candidates who have entered the political arena. What
motivated them? Briefly describe their situation and circumstances. In what
way(s) might they be viewed as role models?
b) Each student will identify the politician, living or deceased, who most closely
approximates their “perfect” leader and then provide a brief explanation and
justification for their choice.
ASSESSMENT
See “Lesson 8 Quiz—Fill-in-the-Blanks” in Appendix.
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LESSON 9: TIME TO DECIDE: ELECTION SIMULATION
BACKGROUND
Plato, arguably the most famous Greek philosopher, noted, “The price people pay for
not concerning themselves with politics is to be governed by people worse than
themselves.” Your vote has the power to elect the candidate who best represents you.
However, you must actually vote for that power to take effect. Voting is not some remote
and vague concept. Rather, it is a very immediate and powerful right that all Canadian
citizens of voting age have. In a few short years, you will have the right to that important
power. You will also have the responsibility to exercise your right with knowledge and
understanding. By participating in politics, your voice, your values, and your issues
become part of the process that shapes the future of your country. You must also, as
the Plato quotation wisely points out, understand and appreciate the price that you, and
indeed all of society, pay if you fail to exercise your right to vote.
The act of voting is easy. Canadian voters want it that way. To vote in a federal election,
you are only required to be a Canadian citizen and 18 years of age or older. In an
Ontario provincial election, there are only three qualifications that have to be met in
order to vote—you must be 18 years of age or older, a Canadian citizen, and a resident
of the electoral district. However, to ensure it is easy for you to vote and that elections
run smoothly requires the coordinated efforts of thousands of people. For example, in
Ontario, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) presides over the entire election. Returning
Officers, who are in charge of the election in each electoral district, are appointed by the
Lieutenant Governor-in-Council on the recommendation of the Chief Electoral Officer. In
addition, there are Deputy Returning Officers, Election Clerks, Revising Agents, Poll
Clerks, and many others, all working to make sure elections are fair and accessible to
all.
Over 200,000 people are deployed by Elections Canada to administer a general
election and over 65,000 polling stations at 15,000 sites are set up for people to cast
their ballot across the country. On Election Day in the Ontario 2007 election, more than
74,000 people worked at 27,000 polls in 9,000 voting locations in 107 electoral districts.
Imagine the complexity of organizing a federal election with 308 electoral districts.
Legislated fixed-date elections exist federally and in several provincial jurisdictions,
including Ontario. It was argued that regular, fixed election dates, known by the
electorate, would get more people out voting. On November 6, 2006, the Canadian
Parliament passed Bill C-16, which requires that federal general elections take place on
the third Monday in October, every four calendar years, beginning with October 19,
2009. Similar legislation was passed in Ontario in 2005, mandating that provincial
elections be held once every four years on the first Thursday in October beginning in
2007. (Exceptions are made to ensure there is no conflict with religious and cultural
events of significance.) The law does not prevent the Governor General or the
Lieutenant Governor from dissolving Parliament at another date, for instance, when the
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government loses the confidence of the House of Commons or the Legislative
Assembly.
Your right to participate in elections is considered so important that the Election Act in
Ontario requires employers to give employees (who are qualified to vote) three
consecutive hours for the purpose of voting while the polls are open on Election Day (if
the hours of his or her employment do not allow for three consecutive hours). For the
2007 Ontario general election, voting hours were extended by an hour, allowing voters
to exercise their most important democratic right from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Similar
provisions also exist for federal elections. During federal elections, polling sites are
open for 12 hours in all regions of the country. The hours of voting on Election Day at a
general election, or when by-elections are held on the same day in more than one time
zone, have been staggered so that the majority of results are available at approximately
the same time across the country.
Your right to vote only has the power to shape the future if you use it. The system
requires the participation of citizens. You only have the right to vote because Canadians
demanded it. That right has been extended to all Canadians because voters wanted it.
The reforms that make voting inclusive and accessible, and enable greater numbers of
people to exercise their fundamental right to vote did not happen by chance. We made
them happen by participating in the process, voting and electing representatives who
value our right to vote as much as we do. We are all wise to heed Plato’s sage advice.
LESSON PLAN
Time to Decide: Election Simulation
FOCUS
• Students participate in a hands-on, experimental provincial (or federal) election
simulation.
OUTCOMES
•
•
Students will become familiar with the mechanics, terms, and election officials
involved in conducting an election.
Students will simulate and experience the process of an election as electors,
candidates, and active campaign workers, which will motivate and encourage
them to become future voters.
MATERIALS
•
•
•
•
Template for Ballot
Template for Ballot Box
Guide for Poll Officials
Overhead projector (optional)
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•
•
A copy of or access to Elections Ontario’s Voting in Ontario Provincial Elections,
if required
Copies of this lesson’s “Background”
LESSON
Distribute copies of this lesson’s “Background” to students. Allow time for reading.
Total time —5 minutes
HOOK
The teacher will write the Plato quotation either on the board or use the overhead
projector. “The price people pay for not concerning themselves with politics is to be
governed by people worse than themselves.” Follow-up discussion might centre on the
following questions:
a) What did Plato mean?
b) Do you think he is right or wrong? Why?
c) Can you cite a specific example that supports his contention?
d) What are some reasons for voter apathy?
Total time—10–15 minutes
Day 1
Voting Part 1—Preparation
1. Teacher prompt – “What goes into the running of an election? It involves much more
than printing ballots and setting up polls. It involves the efforts of tens of thousands of
people, all doing vital service. We are going to simulate an election in order to see how
it works. In our election, there will be three fictional political parties, and five electoral
districts. The party that wins the most electoral districts will form the government.”
2. Teacher will use the class list as a provisional list of voters.
3. The teacher will delegate four “non-partisan” members of the class to do the
following tasks. (The teacher may help this group with some or all of these tasks.)
a) Create enough ballots for all voters. (See template in Appendix.)
b) Separate the ballots into five groups—one group for each electoral district.
c) Create an attractive and authentic polling booth/voting screen. (See template in
Appendix.)
d) Prepare a sturdy and secure ballot box. (See template in Appendix.)
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Voting Part 2—Campaigning
Teacher Note: If you have done Lesson 3’s Hook, Part B, “Political Party Simulation”
previously, your class will already be divided into fictional political parties with leaders,
issues, position papers, and speeches. Skip down to number 3.
1. The class will form into three groups (teacher’s decision), each representing a
fictional political party. This can be done by assigning each name on the provisional
Voters List (class list) an A, B, or C. Start at the beginning and letter sequentially. This
could also be done verbally with the students. All the A’s will be one political party, the
B’s and C’s the other two.
2. Each group, representing a fictional political party, will do the following:
(Some of these tasks may have been completed in Lesson 3’s Hook, Part B.)
a) Working as a group, create an original and authentic name for your political party
(it should reflect the nature of the party’s views on the issues, be memorable, and
make an effective abbreviation).
b) Create a logo for your political party.
c) Create a mission statement for your political party.
d) Working as a group, select a leader of the party and four other candidates.
e) Allocate areas of responsibility to pairs of students. There will be five areas of
responsibility—education, taxes, the environment, labour, and the economy.
3. Working in their fictional political parties, have the students develop a campaign
speech for their leader.
4. To create electoral districts, the teacher will again divide the class. This time the class
will be divided into five electoral districts. The same method used in Step 1. above can
be used here. Number the students from one to five. Record the names of students in
each “electoral district” on a separate list and thus create five Voters Lists. (See
templates in Appendix.)
5. The parties now decide which candidates are running in which electoral districts. The
names of the candidates can now be placed on the ballots. The ballots for each
electoral district will have the names of three candidates, one from each party.
6. The three party leaders will deliver their campaign speeches to the rest of the class.
Day 2
Voting Part 3—Election Day
1. By now you should have created the political parties, party leaders and candidates,
electoral districts, ballots, ballot box, Voters Lists, and polling booth. The party leaders
have given their speeches. It’s Election Day, time to cast your ballots.
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a) Set up your polling place with a polling booth and ballot box. (See templates in
Appendix.)
b) The four non-partisan students will take the roles of Information Assistant,
Deputy Returning Officer (DRO), Poll Clerk and Scrutineer.
c) The teacher creates a leader board on the board.
d) The teacher takes the task of counting the ballots.
2. Voting—Start with the students in electoral district 1, Voters List 1 and the ballots for
electoral district 1.
• Have the students (voters) in electoral district 1 go to the polling place.
• The Information Assistant will greet each voter and guide them to their
poll. (In a real election, the Information Assistant would also ask to see the
voter’s identification and their Notice of Registration Card (or Voter
Information Card in a federal election) that they would have received in the
mail).
• The voter must state their name and identify themselves to the DRO.
• The Poll Clerk crosses the voter’s name off the list.
• The DRO gives the voter a folded ballot. (The DRO has written his or her
initials on the outside of the folded ballot, before the DRO gives the ballot
to the voter.)
• The voter marks the ballot in secret behind the voting screen.
• The voter hands the folded ballot back to the DRO to verify (the DRO’s
initials must be on the outside of the folded ballot).
• The voter then deposits the ballot in the ballot box.
• When all students on Voter List 1 have voted, the DRO should take the
ballots to the teacher for counting.
• The Scrutineer can watch the count.
Continue the same procedure for the other four electoral districts.
Voting Part 4—Results
1. The teacher can count the ballots and update the leader board as the results are
determined.
2. A winner will be determined in each electoral district—and thus the winner of the
election overall. The party with the most candidates will form the government and their
leader will be the Premier.
3. For homework, every student will complete a PMI chart in their notebooks. This will
be a three-column chart with “Plus” written at the top of the first column, “Minus” at the
top of the second and “Interesting” at the top of the third. Based on the election
simulation, as well as learning through other lessons, students should indicate those
features of the Ontario and Canadian voting systems that they find a Plus (P), Minus
(M), or Interesting (I) under the appropriate column. If time permits the following day,
engage the class in a discussion regarding their entries into their “PMI” charts.
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CLOSURE
Choice
1. Write a one- to two-page report entitled, “What I Learned from the Election
Simulation.”
Focus questions:
a) Did you find the process easy or difficult? Why?
b) What made the process realistic and authentic?
c) What features made it democratic?
d) What did you like best about it?
e) Is there one suggestion that you would make for improvement?
2. Conduct a debate, either as a class, or in triads (affirmative, negative, and
judge) on the following resolution: “Lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 would
be a wise and sensible reform.”
EXTENSION
a) Students will write a position paper about the process of voting in an Ontario
provincial election or in a federal election.
b) Working in pairs, students will create a 30-second radio PSA (public service
announcement) encouraging people to vote. The aim should be to produce a PSA that
is hard-hitting, factually accurate, and will encourage people to vote.
c) Working in pairs, students will create a pamphlet or brochure encouraging people to
vote.
d) Make a list of strategies to increase the voter turnout.
Interesting Note for Teachers! Elections Ontario would like to see your class’s
strategies to increase voter turnout. If your class creates interesting, new ideas and you
would like to share them with Elections Ontario, please send them to
Elections Ontario
51 Rolark Drive
Toronto, ON
M1R 3B1
Attention: Public Education
ASSESSMENT
See “Lesson 9 Quiz” in Appendix.
Page 86 of 113
LESSON 1 QUIZ—Multiple Choice
1. The birthplace of democracy” was
a) Egypt.
b) Athens.
c) Rome.
d) England.
2. An oligarchic type of government is one characterized by
a) a single, powerful ruler.
b) military control.
c) rule by a few individuals.
d) inefficiency bordering on chaos.
3. British North America before the Rebellions of 1837 can best be described as
a) democratic.
b) responsible.
c) dictatorial.
d) oligarchic.
4. Which of the following political adjectives can rightly describe the Canadian
government?
a) Federal
b) Parliamentary
c) Monarchical
d) a, b, and c
5. Democratic systems of government
a) are systems that ensure the rights of citizens.
b) are enjoyed by the majority of the world’s people.
c) are roughly similar throughout the world today.
d) are perfect and largely unchanging.
6. The term “democracy” comes from which language?
a) Latin
b) Hebrew
c) Greek
d) Sanskrit
7. Which of the following is a strength of democracy?
a) It is efficient.
b) It is inexpensive.
c) It is easily administered.
d) It allows many views.
8. Which of the following is a weakness of democracy?
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a)
b)
c)
d)
It is fair and provides for equality.
It is time-consuming and costly.
It is out-of-date.
It allows many views.
9. The oldest political system is
a) democracy.
b) oligarchy.
c) dictatorship.
d) theocracy.
10. How many levels of government does Canada have?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
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LESSON 2 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks
1. An organized decision-making body can be considered to be a (blank).
2. Because Canada has more than one level of government, it is described as having a
(blank) system.
3. Two of the major provincial governmental responsibilities are (blank) and (blank).
4. The branch of the Ontario government that consists of the Crown, the Premier and
the Provincial/Territorial Cabinet is the (blank) branch.
5. Two groups within Canadian society who won the right to vote after Confederation in
1867 are (blank) and (blank).
6. The branch of the federal government that consists of the House of Commons and
the Senate is the (blank) branch.
7. The head of the government at the provincial level is called the (blank) (Premier) and
the head of the government at the federal level is called the (blank).
8. The Queen’s representative at the provincial level is called the (blank) and the
Queen’s representative at the federal level is called the (blank).
9. An electoral district is also called a (blank).
10. The special piece of paper on which a vote is registered is called a (blank).
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LESSON 3 QUIZ—True/False
Indicate whether each of the following statements is True (T) or False (F).
1. Political parties only exist to obtain political power.
2. Members of political parties share roughly similar views.
3. Elections in Canada are conducted under the system called “first-past-the-post.”
4. A “majority” government is one in which the winning party has more seats than
any other party.
5. A political party’s position on the issues of the day is called its “platform.”
6. Most political parties have a leader, logo, and slogan.
7. Canada and the United States both have viable multi-party systems.
8. All elected members must belong to a political party.
9. A person can be a member of a political party even if they are not of voting age.
10. Political parties only operate during election time.
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LESSON 4 QUIZ—Multiple Choice
1. The single most powerful individual within the Canadian government is the
a) Prime Minister.
b) Governor General.
c) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
d) Premier.
2. Which of the following positions is NOT appointed by the Governor General on
the advice of the Prime Minister?
a) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
b) Cabinet ministers
c) Premier
d) Ambassadors
3. How many female Prime Ministers have there been in Canada?
a) 1
b) 0
c) 6
d) 3
4. The most common background for Canadian Prime Ministers has been
a) education.
b) law.
c) business.
d) medicine.
5. The “Head of State” in Canada is
a) the Prime Minister.
b) the Premier.
c) the Queen.
d) the President.
6. The Premier of Ontario must be
a) the leader of the party that forms the government.
b) a Canadian citizen.
c) at least 50 years of age.
d) a and b
7. The Members of the Cabinet are called
a) Vicars.
b) Pages.
c) Ministers.
d) Councillors.
8. Provincial legislation is the responsibility of
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a)
b)
c)
d)
the Premier.
the Cabinet.
the provincial government.
a, b, and c
9. How many female Premiers have there been in Canada?
a) 1
b) 0
c) 6
d) 3
10. Primus inter pares means
a) “important equally.”
b) “first among equals.”
c) “primarily important.”
d) “between importance.”
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LESSON 5 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks
1. Electoral districts are established by (blank).
2. The official name of an individual elected to a seat in Canada’s House of
Commons is (blank).
3. The official name of an individual elected to a seat in Ontario’s Queen’s Park is
(blank).
4. Currently, there are (blank) elected MPs in the Canada’s House of Commons.
5. Currently, there are (blank) elected MPPs in Ontario’s Queen’s Park.
6. Both Elections Canada and Elections Ontario are “non-partisan,” which means
(blank).
7. The older and now defunct practice of altering electoral boundaries to favour a
government in power is called (blank).
8. Federal areas of responsibility include (blank)while provincial areas of
responsibility include (blank), (blank), (blank)
9. The Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut have (blank) electoral districts
altogether.
10. Representation in the House of Commons is readjusted after each (blank)
census.
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LESSON 6 QUIZ—True/False
Indicate whether each of the following statements is True (T) or False (F).
1. “First-past-the-post” (FPTP) simply means that the winning candidate in an
election is the one that finishes ahead of the others, whether by one vote or
thousands.
2. Voting has the power to influence the government and improve society.
3. The winner in an election needs more than 50 per cent of the votes cast.
4. A mixed member proportional voting system was turned down by Ontario voters
in 2007.
5. Voting has been in existence for more than 25 centuries.
6. The secret ballot was not introduced in Canada until the 20th century.
7. Women in Canada first gained the right to vote during World War I.
8. In Canada, voting is a right and responsibility and not a privilege.
9. There are only two people who cannot vote in a Canadian federal Election: the
Chief Electoral Officer and the Prime Minister.
11. Over the last half century, voter turnout rates have been declining.
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LESSON 7 QUIZ—Multiple Choice
1. Most people consider voting in Canada and Ontario to be
a) fair.
b) accessible.
c) legitimate.
d) d) a, b, and c
2. Canadian citizens can be denied the right to vote based on
a) gender
b) race.
c) religion.
d) ethnicity.
e) none of these
3. Citizens in Ontario have the opportunity to review and comment on suggested voting
locations to help make sure they are
a) painted in election colours.
b) clean and tidy.
c) accessible to voters with disabilities.
d) a, b, and c
4. Canadians convey their values and issues to their government by means of
a) the Internet
b) voting
c) elected representatives
d) a, b and c
5. The Election Act and AODA Customer Service Regulation ensure
a) accessibility for voters.
b) that votes are counted fairly.
c) that liquor outlets are closed.
d) a, b, and c
6. Accessibility ensures that all voters, regardless of their abilities, have the opportunity
to
a) listen to speeches.
b) watch elections on TV.
c) vote.
d) a and b
7. In Ontario, the Chief Electoral Officer is required to publish on the Internet, the
proposed locations of all polling locations
a) two weeks before Election Day.
b) on Election Day.
c) six months before Election Day.
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d) the day after an election.
8. In Canada, the right to vote is guaranteed by the
a) Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
b) the Bill of Rights.
c) the Right to Vote Act.
d) the Declaration of Rights.
9. Voters who cannot vote on Election Day can cast their ballot by means of
a) telephone.
b) advance polls.
c) special ballot.
d) b and c
10. Provincial elections in Ontario are administered by
a) Elections Ontario.
b) Elections Canada.
c) the Ombudsman.
d) Enumerators.
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LESSON 8 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks
1. Because our democratic system operates through elected officials, it is best referred
to as a (blank) democracy.
2. If elected, a candidate in a federal election represents the citizens of an electoral
district and becomes (blank).
3. If elected, a candidate in an Ontario provincial election represents the citizens of an
electoral district and becomes (blank).
4. In order to be a candidate for political office, a Canadian citizen must be at least
(blank) years of age.
5. Candidates who do not belong to a political party can run as (blank).
6. The issues and ideas supported by a candidate are known as his or her (blank) .
7. During an election campaign, candidates must try to attract (blank).
8. In order to get their message out, activities that candidates undertake during a
political campaign include (blank).
9. Citizens can become informed about the candidates by gathering information from
(blank).
10. It is important to be informed about the candidates in order to vote for the one who
best (blank) your issues and values.
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LESSON 9 QUIZ
Part One—List questions. (20 marks)
1. List four former Prime Ministers of Canada.
2. List four former Premiers of Ontario.
3. List four “democratic” countries.
4. List four characteristics of Ontario’s (and Canada’s) voting systems.
5. List four reforms that have improved Ontario’s (and Canada’s) electoral systems.
Part Two—Definitions (8 marks)
Briefly but accurately define each of the following terms:
1. Electoral District:
2. Ballot:
3. Poll:
4. Scrutineer:
5. Federalism:
6. Returning Officer:
7. Constituency:
8. Legislature:
Part Three—Short Answer Questions (6 marks)
1. The birthplace of democracy was
a) Egypt.
b) Athens.
c) Rome.
d) England.
2. Because Canada has more than one level of government, it can accurately be
described as what kind of system?
a) Bicameral
b) Representative
c) Federal
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d) parliamentary
3. Elections in Canada are conducted under the following system.
a) “first-past-the-post”
b) “proportional representation”
c) “winner-take-all”
d) “mixed member proportional”
4. The place where eligible voters go in order to cast their votes is called a
a) constituency.
b) poll.
c) enumerator.
d) scrutineer.
5. A person is eligible to vote in an Ontario election if he/she is
a) 18 years or older.
b) a Canadian citizen.
c) a resident of an Ontario electoral district.
d) a and c above
e) all of the above
6. In the 2007 Ontario election, approximately how many people worked on Election
Day?
a) 25,000
b) 45,000
c) 75,000
d) 95,000
Part Four—Discussion Questions (16 marks)
Write approximately one page on one of the following. Your answer should be well
written and provide evidence to support your viewpoint.
1. Why is voting important to the health of a democratic system of government?
2. What is, in your view, the single most effective reform that could be introduced to
increase the voter turnout? Why?
3. Write an open letter to encourage more young people to vote.
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Answer Key
LESSON 1 QUIZ—Multiple Choice
1. b) Athens.
2. c) rule by a few individuals.
3. d) oligarchic.
4. d) a, b, and c 5. a) are systems that ensure the rights of citizens.
6. c) Greek
7. d) It allows many views.
9. c) dictatorship.
8. b) It is time-consuming and costly.
10. c) 3
LESSON 2 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks
1. (government)
2. (federal)
3. (health) (education).
4. (executive)
5. (women, non-property-holders, 18–20 year olds, Aboriginal persons, inmates)
6. (legislative).
7. (Premier) (Prime Minister).
(Governor General).
9. (riding/constituency).
8. (Lieutenant Governor)
10. (ballot).
LESSON 3 QUIZ—True/False
1. (answer—F)
2. (answer—T)
3. (answer—T)
4. (answer—F)
(answer—F)
5. (answer—T)
6. (answer—T)
8. (answer—F)
9. (answer—T)
10. (answer—F)
7.
LESSON 4 QUIZ—Multiple Choice
1. a) Prime Minister.
Queen
2. c) Premier
6. d) a and b 7. c) Ministers.
3. a) 1
8. d) a, b, and c
4. b) law.
5. c) the
9. c) 7
10. b) “first among equals.”
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LESSON 5 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks
1. (independent boundary commissions) 2. (Member of Parliament/MP)
3. (Member of the Provincial Parliament/MPP) 4. (308)
6. (neutral, independent, non-affiliated, unattached)
8. (answers may vary)
9. (three)
5. (107)
7. (gerrymandering)
10. (10-year)
LESSON 6 QUIZ—True/False
1. (answer—T)
2. (answer—T)
3. (answer—F)
4. (answer—T)
(answer—T)
5. (answer—T)
6. (answer—F)
8. (answer—T)
9. (answer—F)
10. (answer—T)
7.
LESSON 7 QUIZ—Multiple Choice
1. d) a, b, and c
2. e) none of these 3. c) accessible to voters with disabilities
4. d) a, b and c
5. a) accessibility for voters
7. c) six months before Election Day
9. d) b and c
6. c) vote
8. a) Charter of Rights and Freedoms
10. a) Elections Ontario
LESSON 8 QUIZ—Fill-in-the-Blanks
1. (representative) 2. (a Member of Parliament [MP])
3. (a Member of Provincial Parliament [MPP]) 4. (18)
5. (independents)
6. (platform) 7. (financial support or volunteers, support from potential voters)
8. (making speeches, advertising, creating a website, going door –to –door, distributing
brochures, putting up lawn signs, etc.)
9. (newspapers, television, radio, websites, Facebook, Twitter)
10. (represents)
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LESSON 9 QUIZ
Part One—List questions. (20 marks)
1. Answers will vary
2. Answers will vary
3. Answers will vary
4. Answers will vary
5. Answers will vary
Part Two—Definitions (8 marks)
Briefly but accurately define each of the following terms:
1. electoral district: also known as a riding. The geographic area for which one person is
elected to represent in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario or in the federal Parliament.
2. Ballot: A sheet of paper or a card used to cast or register a vote, especially a secret
one.
3. Poll: The casting and registering of votes in an election. The number of votes cast or
recorded. The place where votes are cast and registered.
4. Scrutineer: A member of a political party who observe the polling process to ensure
fairness.
5. Federalism: Of, relating to, or being a form of government in which a union of
provinces/territories recognizes the sovereignty of a central authority while retaining
certain residual powers of government.
6. Returning Officer: The election or referendum officer responsible for organizing an
electoral event in an electoral district.
7. Constituency: The body of voters or the residents of a district represented by an
elected legislator or official. The district so represented.
8. Legislature: An officially elected or otherwise selected body of people vested with the
responsibility and power to make laws for a political unit, such as a province or nation.
Part Three—Short Answer Questions (7 marks)
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1. b) Athens
2. c) federal
3. a) “first-past-the-post” 4. b) poll
5. e) all of the above
6. c) 75,000
Part Four—Discussion Questions (15 marks)
1. Answers will vary 2. Answers will vary 3. Answers will vary
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Glossary
ballot: A sheet of paper or a card used to cast or register a vote, especially a secret
one.
Cabinet: The executive committee that advises the head of a government.
candidate: A person who seeks or is nominated for an office in government.
citizenship: The status of a citizen with its attendant duties, rights, and privileges.
civil servant: A person employed in the civil service.
constituency: The body of voters or the residents of a district represented by an elected
legislator or official. The district so represented.
constitutional monarchy: A monarchy in which the powers of the ruler are restricted to
those granted under the constitution and laws of the nation.
country: A nation or state; our country is Canada.
democracy: Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected
representatives. A political or social unit that has such a government.
election: The act or power of electing. The fact of being elected. The right or ability to
make a choice.
electoral district: also known as a riding. The geographic area one person is elected to
represent in the Legislative Assembly in the Province of Ontario.
elector: A qualified voter in an election.
federal: Of, relating to, or being a form of government in which a union of
provinces/territories recognizes the sovereignty of a central authority while retaining
certain residual powers of government.
government: The act or process of governing, especially the control and administration
of public policy in a political unit. The office, function, or authority of a governing
individual or body.
Governor General: The representative of Her Majesty The Queen in Canada.
legislature: An officially elected or otherwise selected body of people vested with the
responsibility and power to make laws for a political unit, such as a province or nation.
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Lieutenant Governor: The representative of Her Majesty The Queen in a Canadian
province.
local: Of or relating to a city, town, or district rather than a larger area. (i.e., local
government is municipal)
majority: The amount by which the greater number of votes cast, as in an election,
exceeds the total number of remaining votes. The political party, group, or faction
having the most power by virtue of its larger representation or electoral strength..
mayor: The head of local/municipal government.
minority: A group or party having fewer than a controlling number of votes.
municipal: Of, relating to, or typical of a municipality. Having local self-government.
opposition: A political party or an organized group opposed to the group, party, or
government in power.
poll: The casting and registering of votes in an election. The number of votes cast or
recorded. The place where votes are cast and registered.
premier: The head of provincial or territorial government.
Prime Minister: The head of the cabinet and often also the chief executive of a
parliamentary democracy. Leader of our Canadian federal government.
provincial: Of or relating to a province. Having provincial self-government.
responsibility: Something for which one is responsible; a duty, obligation, or burden.
Returning Officer: The election or referendum officer responsible for organizing an
electoral event in an electoral district. He or she sets up an office (the returning office) in
the electoral district and hires and supervises all of the Election Officials.
riding: An administrative division or federal electoral division in Canada.
right: Something which people are entitled to; a guarantee.
scrutineer: A member of a political party who observes the polling process to ensure
fairness.
Territorial Commissioner: Commissioners are appointed by the Governor General of
Canada to serve as the Government of Canada's senior representative in the territory.
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writ: A writ issued by an executive authority requiring that an election be held, especially
a special election to fill a vacancy.
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RUNNING AN ELECTION!: NOTICE OF REGISTRATION CARD
WHAT TO DO
This is a simulated Notice of Registration Card that an elector would receive in the mail.
In a real election, an elector would bring it with them to the polling location along with
identification to show the Poll Official. On the following page you will find a set of
simulated Notice of Registration Cards. You can copy this page and cut out the Cards to
distribute to your students as part of the Election Simulation.
RUNNING AN ELECTION!: BALLOT
WHAT TO DO
This is a simulated ballot. On the following page you will find a set of simulated ballots.
Photocopy the simulated ballot page once. Write the names of your candidates on the
photocopied page in alphabetical order. Photocopy the ballot page with the names on it
to make as many ballots as you need. Cut the ballot pages into individual ballots.
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RUNNING AN ELECTION!: VOTING SCREEN
WHAT TO DO
As shown in the POLLING PLACE LAYOUT, a polling booth must have a voting screen
so that voters can mark their ballot in secret. Using the dimensions indicated here, have
a student construct a voting screen from cardboard for use in your Election Simulation.
RUNNING AN ELECTION!: BALLOT BOX
WHAT TO DO
As shown in the POLLING PLACE LAYOUT, a polling place must have a ballot box. An
official ballot box would look something like the image on the right. For your Election
Simulation, you could have a student construct a cardboard replica of this ballot box. A
simple box with a slot in the lid for ballots would also work.
To make it more like a real election, place a ballot box cover over the slot. This can be a
piece of cardboard cut to be about the same size as the top of the ballot box.
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RUNNING AN ELECTION!: VOTERS LIST
VOTERS LIST
List the names of all participants in the Election Simulation to ensure all are eligible to
vote. Those playing the roles of candidates,
Deputy Returning Officer and Poll Clerk have the right to vote. Note that in a federal
election, both names and addresses of electors are required. (Photocopy and add
pages as needed.)
ELECTORAL DISTRICT – NAME OF SCHOOL OR ORGANIZATION
MUNICIPALITY
POLLING DIVISION NO. – GRADE
URBAN
RURAL
NUMBER
NAME OF ELECTOR
VOTED
CERTIFIED AS TO COMPLETENESS AND CORRECTNESS
Date
SIGNATURE(S) OF TEACHER(S)/GROUP LEADER(S)
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Glossary
ballot: A sheet of paper or a card used to cast or register a vote, especially a secret
one.
Cabinet: The executive committee that advises the head of a government.
candidate: A person who seeks or is nominated for an office in government.
citizenship: The status of a citizen with its attendant duties, rights, and privileges.
civil servant: A person employed in the civil service.
constituency: The body of voters or the residents of a district represented by an elected
legislator or official. The district so represented.
constitutional monarchy: A monarchy in which the powers of the ruler are restricted to
those granted under the constitution and laws of the nation.
country: A nation or state; our country is Canada.
democracy: Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected
representatives. A political or social unit that has such a government.
election: The act or power of electing. The fact of being elected. The right or ability to
make a choice.
electoral district: also known as a riding. The geographic area one person for which one
person is elected to represent in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario or in the federal
Parliament.
elector: A qualified voter in an election.
federal: Of, relating to, or being a form of government in which a union of
provinces/territories recognizes the sovereignty of a central authority while retaining
certain residual powers of government.
government: The act or process of governing, especially the control and administration
of public policy in a political unit. The office, function, or authority of a governing
individual or body.
Governor General: The representative of Her Majesty The Queen in Canada.
legislature: An officially elected or otherwise selected body of people vested with the
responsibility and power to make laws for a political unit, such as a province or nation.
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Lieutenant Governor: The representative of Her Majesty The Queen in a Canadian
province.
local: Of or relating to a city, town, or district rather than a larger area. (i.e., local
government is municipal)
majority: The amount by which the greater number of votes cast, as in an election,
exceeds the total number of remaining votes. The political party, group, or faction
having the most power by virtue of its larger representation or electoral strength..
mayor: The head of local/municipal government.
minority: A group or party having fewer than a controlling number of votes.
municipal: Of, relating to, or typical of a municipality. Having local self-government.
opposition: A political party or an organized group opposed to the group, party, or
government in power.
poll: The casting and registering of votes in an election. The number of votes cast or
recorded. The place where votes are cast and registered.
premier: The head of provincial or territorial government.
Prime Minister: The head of the cabinet and often also the chief executive of a
parliamentary democracy. Leader of our Canadian federal government.
provincial: Of or relating to a province. Having provincial self-government.
responsibility: Something for which one is responsible; a duty, obligation, or burden.
Returning Officer: The election or referendum officer responsible for organizing an
electoral event in an electoral district. He or she sets up an office (the returning office) in
the electoral district and hires and supervises all of the Election Officials.
riding: An administrative division or federal electoral division in Canada.
right: Something which people are entitled to; a guarantee.
scrutineer: A member of a political party who observe the polling process to ensure
fairness.
Territorial Commissioner: Commissioners are appointed by the Governor General of
Canada to serve as the Government of Canada's senior representative in the territory.
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writ: A writ issued by an executive authority requiring that an election be held, especially
a special election to fill a vacancy.
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CREDITS
© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2011
VOTING RULES!, VOTER C'EST FORT ! , ELECTIONS ONTARIO and the X Design
are trademarks of
Elections Ontario and may not be used without permission.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Voting Rules! Grade 10 Toolkit
ISBN 978-1-4435-6071-9 1st ed. (PDF)
1. Civics—study and teaching
The following individuals participated in the development of
Voting Rules! Grade 10 Toolkit
Author:
Brune, Nick
Advisory Committee:
• Haskings-Winner, Jan, Instructional Leader, Social & World Studies and the
Humanities,
• Toronto District School Board, Toronto, ON
• Herrera, Lisa, Educator, Agincourt Collegiate Institute, Toronto District School
Board, Toronto, ON
• Hux, Allan, Former Program Coordinator, Social & World Studies and the
Humanities,
• Toronto District School Board, Toronto, ON
• Skeoch, Alan, Retired Educator, Contributor Grade 10 Civics Textbook
This toolkit was produced for Elections Ontario and Elections Canada by CoEd
Communications Inc.
(www.4edu.ca).
CoEd Communications Inc. is a not-for-profit educational communications company,
specializing in the production and promotion of free, quality, curriculum-based education
resource material for the Canadian school system.
Any errors or omissions are strictly the responsibility of Elections Ontario and Elections
Canada.
All rights reserved.
Copyright note – pages of this publication may be reproduced for classroom use only.
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