According to the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, the May 2 election cost each Canadian voter exactly $12.00.
That is one of the facts in the official report on the election, released on August 17.
Among other numbers in the report, the election employed 235,867 persons, of whom 228,777 were "active" and 7,090 were standby or additional workers.
The Conservative Party paid for 103 minutes of broadcasting time, compared to 69 minutes and 30 seconds for the Liberals and 48 minutes for the New Democrats. The Conservatives also had 56 minutes of free time on CBC-TV, compared to 38 minutes for the Liberals and 26 minutes for the NDP.
All told, 24,257,592 electors were on the final lists. Of these, 3,109,917 were British Columbians.
Canadians cast 14,823,408 ballots, for a voter turnout of 61.1 per cent. This was an increase of 2.3 per cent over the 2008 election. British Columbia's turnout was 60.4 per cent, up just 0.3 per cent from 2008.
Given the impact of social media on "premature public" transmission of election results, the report noted that "...the growing use of social media puts in question not only the practical enforceability of the rule, but also its very intelligibility and usefulness in a world where the distinction between private communication and public transmission is quickly eroding. The time has come for Parliament to consider revoking the current rule."
The estimated cost of the 41st election is $291.0 million dollars, compared with $279.7 million in 2006 and $286.2 million in 2008. This worked out to exactly $12 per elector, 13 cents less than in 2006 and 8 cents less than in 2008.
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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Fiat lux
1 year ago
Of course, this shows the
Of course, this shows the cost effectiveness of a "benevolent dictatorship" promoted by the Reformers when Manning was coming on the scene, with the organization of a Reform Militia to enforce it in these parts.
"When Preston gives the sign we'll knock off all the fruits, all the Indians and all the socialists", with letters hinting all this in the local papers, but all disappearing with the Oklahoma City bombing.
Ed Deak.
Reg Whitaker
1 year ago
what a bargain
So it cost me only $12 to get a 4 year subscripton to a Harper majority, and Jason Kenney too! Now, that's value for money.
cboo44
1 year ago
Soooo ??
This does NOT include the taxpayer subsidization of political parties. Why wouldn't those figures be added to the "cost of the election" ??
The Green Party actually perpetuates massive fraud upon the taxpayer by "appointing" absentee "paper candidates" to appear on the ballot, in order to collect the subsidy and con the taxpayer into believing their claims of total candidates and votes received. The NDP were soundly criticized for their absentee candidates in Quebec, but the Greens are exempted from accusations of fraud?
Okanagan Orchardist
1 year ago
Where is the proof?
To CBOO44:
Do you have any information where and when this might have happened? Some newspaper or other unbiased journalistic sources?
Fiat lux
1 year ago
Taxpayers always subsidize
Taxpayers always subsidize political parties, and everything else, because everybody pays for everything and the "wealthy" of the corporate mafia who subsidize bought politicians are getting the money from the public with inflated prices giving them obscene profits.
I had a customer in Vancouver once, who proudly wore a pin, showing that he lost $10,000 in Vegas, something over $100,000 in today's money. When I gave him my bill, he pulled a big roll of banknotes from his pocket and wanted me to toss a coin for double or nothing of my bill.
When I refused, he told me I can wait for my money and it took me 2 months to collect.
And these are the people who pay the big bucks to elect corrupt politicians who will give them their stealing rights.
Ed Deak.
gsarahs
1 year ago
Harper Majority = Oxymoron
We need to get rid of the current system! We clearly now have a 4 year dictatorship. I have absolutely no idea why we would want to have majority governments in the present system, after our experiences with Campbell and Harper.