OPINION: Mandatory voting among remedies for low voter turnout in Canada

When Scotland held a referendum on whether to become independent from the United Kingdom in 2014, a whopping 85 per cent of eligible voters exercised their right to cast a ballot. This was a significantly high proportion for a Commonwealth country that does not observe compulsory voting. Two years later, 67 per cent of Scottish voters participated in the referendum on European Union membership.

In this century, no Canadian federal election has reached a participation threshold of 70 per cent. The last one, in 2015, came close at 69 per cent but was still lower than the two elections won by Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservatives in 1984 and 1988 (75 per cent for each). In 1992, 72 per cent of Canadians cast a ballot in the Charlottetown Accord referendum.

More than 20 countries observe some form of compulsory voting in national elections, including Australia, Brazil, Luxembourg and Peru. The rules vary when it comes to dealing with registered voters who break the law by not taking part in the democratic process.

In Australia, for instance, a fine of up to $150 may be levied if a voter cannot provide a plausible explanation for his or her failure to cast a ballot, such as religious reasons or illness. In Brazil, eligible voters aged 18 to 70 require a "voting receipt" to access key government services, including registering for a new passport or identification card.

Canada has not directly contemplated mandatory voting, although some parties have flirted with the idea of allowing residents aged 16 and 17 to vote in some elections. When Research Co. asked Canadians in the middle of a federal campaign, more than three in five (62 per cent) believed voting should be mandatory in all federal elections.

Canadians aged 55 and over are more likely to endorse compulsory voting for federal ballots (68 per cent) than those aged 18 to 34 (59 per cent) and those aged 35 to 54 (57 per cent).

Across Canada, 58 per cent of residents would like to see Election Day declared a public holiday across the country. There is an age gap on the question related to having an entire day, free of work or school, to vote.

While only 48per cent of Canadians aged 55 and over like this idea, the proportion rises to 57 per cent among those aged 35 to 54 and 72 per cent among those aged 18 to 34. The would-be voters who are more likely to be studying or working on the third Monday of October are the ones who would like to have a full day to cast a ballot without pressure.

In campaigns that revolve heavily around the federal leaders-and this year, more than others, about what they have done and not done in the past-it can be easy to forget that we vote for the people who run in our respective constituencies. These debates provide an opportunity for voters to listen to candidates with more than talking points supplied by the "central campaign."

Almost seven in 10 Canadians (69 per cent) believe it should be mandatory for candidates to attend at least one public debate in their riding with the contenders from other parties. This includes sizable majorities of those who voted for the New Democrats (74 per cent), the Liberals (73 per cent) and the Conservatives (71 per cent) in the 2015 federal election.

This survey shows that majorities of Canadians would like to have a full day to cast a ballot and are willing to enact compulsory voting in federal elections. It is also crucial to note that a significant proportion of Canadians are desperate to hear from their local candidates in a setting that goes beyond a rehearsed doorstep discourse or a five-second sound bite. ¥