New Canadians

For adult new Canadians over the age of 18, becoming a citizen means gaining the right to vote in a federal election. However, several barriers to voting affect the number of new Canadians who go to the polls, work, or run in an election.

Access-related barriers

Compared to other citizens, new Canadians have lower levels of knowledge about Canada's federal election process, including where and when to vote.
Many new Canadians are not fluent in English or French, which can make finding and understanding election information more difficult.
New Canadians have more difficulty meeting the identification requirements when registering and voting and are more likely to mention a problem with the electoral process as a reason for not voting.
New Canadians are less likely to know if they are registered to vote, and are more likely to say that they did not receive a Voter Information Card, leading many to assume that they could not vote.
They are also less aware than the general population about advance voting options.

Motivational barriers

New Canadians have reported somewhat lower levels of interest in politics than other Canadians.
It has been suggested that some new Canadians' countries of origin don't have a tradition of democracy, which can affect motivation to vote in Canada. For some, this may result in a greater desire to vote, but for others, it may lead to a lack of trust in the election process. More research is required to better understand this motivational barrier.
New Canadians may be less likely to feel informed about the candidates and issues in a federal election, and may be more likely to feel that candidates do not address their concerns. Further research is required to understand this motivational barrier.

New Canadians

Horwitz, Sima Nechama. 2018. « Blended Identities and Immigrant Political Participation. » Thesis paper for a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. Stony Brook University.

Dixon, Zita, Melissa L. Bessaha and Margaret Post. « Beyond the Ballot: Immigrant Integration Through Civic Engagement and Advocacy. » Race and Social Problems 10, 4. [Abstract, Voilà]

Barker, Fiona and Kate McMillan. 2017. « Introduction: Researching Immigrant and Emigrant Voting. » Political Science 69, 2. [Abstract, Voilà]

Chareka, Ottilia. 2017. « Dilemmas and Challenges of Democratic Participation of Immigrants in Small Atlantic Canadian Communities. » In Canadian Perspectives on Immigration in Small Cities. Edited by Glenda Tibe Bonifacio and Julie L. Drolet. [Abstract, Preview, Voilà]

White, Stephen E. 2017. « Canadian Immigrants At the Polls: The Effects of Socialisation in the Country of Origin and Resocialisation in Canada on Electoral Participation. » Political Science 69, 2. [Abstract, Voilà]

Bilodeau, Antoine. 2016. Just Ordinary Citizens? Towards a Comparative Portrait of the Political Immigrant. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. [ Preview, Voilà]

Chareka, Ottilia. 2016. « Dilemmas and Challenges of Democratic Participation of Immigrants in Small Atlantic Canadian Communities. » Canadian Perspectives on Immigration in Small Cities. Edited by Glenda Tibe Bonifacio and Julie Drolet. [Abstract, Voilà]

Elections Canada. 2006. Electoral Insight – Electoral Participation of Ethnocultural Communities.

Pons, Vincent and Guillaume Liegey. 2018. « Increasing The Electoral Participation of Immigrants: Experimental Evidence From France.. » Forthcoming in The Economic Journal.