Voter Turnout (Municipal Election)
Definition
Voter turnout measures the percentage of registered voters who turn out to vote in municipal elections.
Why This Matters
Elections are the most fundamental processes of democratic engagement, and high turnouts are generally considered to be positive-voter turnouts are an indicator of the overall health of the democratic system. Voter turnout varies across the population, with some groups better represented at the polls than others. Age, education, and income are three major factors that influence voter turnout. A common concern is that low voter turnouts may affect the extent to which electoral outcomes (and therefore policies of government) reflect the will of the general population.
Measurement and Limitations
Voter turnout was calculated by looking at the number of votes divided by the number of registered voters. There are several other ways of calculating voter turnout. For instance, voter turnout is often calculated by dividing the number of people going to the polls to vote divided by the number of eligible voters. Though this would give a more accurate representation of the percentage of the eligible population that votes, it can be difficult to determine the precise number of eligible voters. Caution should be used when comparing against other figures.
Data Source
Voter turnout data for Winnipeg’s previous municipal elections can be found at: https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/clerks/election/election-2022/results/2022-Election-Results-Booklet.pdf
Data is updated on Peg as it becomes available from the data providers.
References
City of Winnipeg. (2018). 2018 Civic Election Official Results: October 2018. Retrieved from https://winnipeg.ca/clerks/election/election2018/results/2018-Civic-Election-Official-Results.pdf
City of Winnipeg. (2013). Election archive. Retrieved from http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/downloads/HistoricalSummary.pdf
Elections Canada. (2013). Past elections. Retrieved from http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e
Statistics Canada. (2012). Factors associated with voting. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2012001/article/11629-eng.pdf
Voter Turnout (Municipal Election) in the Sustainable Development Goals
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16. Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals is dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, the provision of access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions at all levels.