Electoral Process in Canada 1. The Right to Vote 2. One Vote Matters 3. Canadian Elections and 3 Levels of Government 4. Elections Canada

The Right to Vote  Franchise – the act of gaining the right to vote  Throughout history, Canadians have been denied their right to vote because of their race, sex, wealth, religion, age employment, disability, and imprisonment.  Even fifty years after Confederation, women were completely disenfranchised. It took the involvement of women in the suffrage movement to educate and influence the public about women's status as equal members of society.  Currently Canada has universal franchise – the right to vote for all citizens over the age of 18 

One Vote Matters  The right to vote is one of the cornerstones of a democratic government. The reason for the importance of the vote is to provide citizens the opportunity to choose their own government.  Occasionally citizens can develop an apathetic sense that in a society of millions of people a single vote has little or no meaning. Consider this however: in the United States (a nation of over 300 million people) during the 2000 federal election the Presidency was decided by a mere 537 votes in the state of Florida, resulting in the election of George W Bush.

Canadian Elections and 3 Levels of Government  In Canada, because we have three levels of government, we have three sets of elections which must take place at certain times.  At the provincial and federal levels, an election must take place within five years.  The decision to call an election is up to the Prime Minister for a federal election.  The decision to call an election is up to the Premier for a provincial election.  Elections at the municipal level must take place every three years.

Elections Canada  Elections Canada is the organization responsible for conducting elections at the federal level in Canada.  It is the best source for everything and anything you may wish to know about the electoral process.  Visit the Elections Canada website at: and spend some time checking out its content.

Create an Elections Poster You have been hired by Elections Canada to create one of a series of posters educating Canadians about the procedures and the importance of Canadian citizens casting their votes. The poster you choose to create must encourage larger voter turn out by identifying a target group in the population who have historically voted at a lower rate than Canadians in general. Sample groups you may want to target include: young people eligible to vote for the first time in their lives, immigrants, or a separate group of your choice.

Create an Elections Poster Your completed poster should contain the following information; □ Who has the right to vote? □ The importance of voting and why it makes a difference □ The actual steps one takes to vote on election day (when, where, how?) □ How do voters become informed about candidates, parties and issues? How do they recognize main points of view and biases in material provided by political parties? □ Visual graphics These posters will be displayed on the classroom wall so be sure to make them detailed! See the rubric on the following slide for how you will be assessed. Be sure to use the Elections Canada website to help you find out this information.

CategoriesLevel 1 ( %) Level 2 ( %) Level 3 ( %) Level 4 ( %) Knowledge /Understanding Accurate and informative in the provision of public information about the electoral process. Information is limited in accuracy, content and scope Information demonstrates some effectiveness in accuracy, content and scope Information demonstrates considerable effectiveness in accuracy, content and scope Information is extremely thorough in accuracy, content and scope Thinking /Inquiry Identifies and explain the relationship between voting, informed citizenship and the effectiveness of participatory democracy. Applies creative thinking skills with limited effectiveness Applies creative thinking skills with some effectiveness Applies creative thinking skills with considerable effectiveness Applies creative thinking skills with a high degree of effectiveness Communication articulate and clarify beliefs and values concerning democratic citizenship and the electoral process, both visually and in written form. - Limited or no use of text to link visuals. -demonstrates limited effectiveness at encouraging larger voter turn out through being informative and compelling - Some use of text to link visuals. -demonstrates some effectiveness at encouraging larger voter turn out through being informative and compelling - Effective use of text to link visuals. - demonstrates considerable effectiveness at encouraging larger voter turn out through being informative and compelling - Thorough integration of text with visuals -demonstrates a very high degree of effectiveness at encouraging larger voter turn out through being informative and compelling Communication Design Impact - Limited creativity and originality in design. - Provokes limited engagement of audience. - Some creativity and originality in design. - Provokes some engagement of audience. - Demonstrates creativity and originality in design. - Provokes some thoughtful engagement of audience. - Thoroughly demonstrates creativity and originality in design. - Provokes thoughtful engagement of audience.