Civic Voting
When you have strong civic literacy skills, you know how to make your voice heard by all levels of government—before, during, and after an election. Our Civic Voting Guide helps educators engage adult learners in civic literacy leading up to federal elections.
Created in collaboration with Elections Canada, A Guide to Voting includes information, links, and activities to help learners understand voting basics, such as how to register to vote, different ways to vote, and the accessibility resources available. It also guides educators through talking to their learners about why voting is important and what to expect at a polling place.
Get your FREE copy of A Guide to Voting
Sign up to receive the workbook: A Guide to Voting. Once you have submitted your information, you will be directed to a page where you can download the workbook in both English and French.
Additional Resources
Download select activities from the Guide to Voting workbook or take the Guide to Voting course on the ABC Skills Hub. The Civic Voting resources are for use at home and in workshops and activities that are also free for participants. Resources are not to be used for commercial purposes.
For more information about Civic Voting, please contact Julia Norcross at jnorcross@abclifeliteracy.ca.
Testimonials
Facts & Statistics
If a person votes in the first election after they turn 18, they will probably be a lifelong voter. On the other hand, those who do not vote in that first election are unlikely to pick up the habit later in life.
Youth Voting Trends in Canada – Elections Canada, 2023
Learning about civics increases interest in voting in future elections. Canadians who have learned about institutions and governments and current events have a much stronger intent to vote in upcoming elections.
Canadians Lack Basics of Civic Education and It’s Impacting Our Democracy – Abacus Data, 2023
A third of Canadian adults don’t recall learning anything about civics in school. And the results for several key aspects of civic education are also quite poor. Only a third recall learning about current events (39%), how institutions and governments work (38%), and the roles and responsibilities of being a citizen (37%). Only 1 in 10 Canadians say they were taught how to discuss controversial issues.
Canadians Lack Basics of Civic Education and It’s Impacting Our Democracy – Abacus Data, 2023
Canadians who did not learn civic engagement skills in school are much less likely to enjoy discussing social issues with their friends and family. Among Canadians who recall learning at least one civic engagement skill, 74% say they like discussing social issues with family and friends. This drops to 62% for those who cannot recall learning about civics in school.
Canadians Lack Basics of Civic Education and It’s Impacting Our Democracy – Abacus Data, 2023
More civically literate citizens are less likely to be influenced by negative and divisive campaigning. More civically literate citizens are also more tolerant of others and their political views. Greater openness and acceptance of different political views can lead to politics where more voices and opinions are heard.
Investing in Canadians’ civic literacy: An answer to fake news and disinformation – The Samara Centre for Democracy, 2019
