User:Mindmatrix/Skunkworks/Register of Future Electors
The Register of Future Electors is a database maintained by Elections Canada containing personal details of Canadian citizens between the ages of 14 and 17.[1] Registration in the database is optional.[1]
The database was established on 1 April 2019[2] as a result of the Elections Modernization Act of December 2018.[1] The primary source of data for the Register of Future Electors is the Canada Revenue Agency,[3] which obtains it from tax return filings in which the individual has consented to have their name added to the Register of Future Electors.[3] Per the Canada Elections Act, consent of a parent or guardian is not required.[1] Since 2020, Elections Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with various provincial and territorial electoral agencies and other data suppliers to acquire information about youths in the target age group.[3]
The data included in the database includes the individual's name, birth date, address, sex, and a unique identifier.[3] The data may not be shared with political parties, election candidates, or Members of Parliament.[1] When the individual reaches the age of majority (and more specifically the voting age), that data is transferred to the National Register of Electors.[4]
Legacy
[edit]In 2021, the Privy Council Office stated that the most significant barrier to first-time voters was the process of registering to vote, and that the Register of Future Electors removes that barrier.[5]
As of October 2023[update], the database contains 17.0% of all 17-year-old individuals in Canada, below the Elections Canada target threshold of 25% for April 2023.[3] It held data for 125,560 individuals in the target age group, representing 7.9% of eligible future electors.[3] To increase enrollment, Elections Canada plans to establish an internet-based registration system to "increase youth coverage in the Register over time".[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "FAQs about the Register of Future Electors". Elections Canada. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Brosseau, Laurence (7 December 2022). "The Canadian Electoral System: Questions and Answers". Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "National Register of Electors - Updates: November 2023 Annual Lists of Electors". Elections Canada. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Haggert, Angelica (30 June 2020). "10 facts about Elections Canada on its 100th anniversary". Canadian Geographic. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Mitchell, Don (3 December 2021). "Hamilton teen a part of Ontario court challenge to lower federal voting age". Global News. Retrieved 7 June 2024.