A new poll conducted by Research Co. has found that a majority of British Columbians support compulsory voting.There was disagreement, however, when it came to how those who do or do not comply are rewarded or punished.Over 60% of the 814 adults polled between July 13 and 15 agreed that voting in provincial elections should be mandatory. A majority of respondents also expressed support for holding all provincial elections in May and making it a public holiday.When asked whether those who choose not to take part should be face financial punishment, only 10% agreed. The idea of rewarding those who cast their ballot with tax incentives was more popular, with 38% support. Nearly half of respondents, 45%, said neither idea was "appealing."Younger British Columbians were more likely than their older counterparts to support incentives for taking part in the democratic process, as were BC Conservative and BC Green voters compared to those who cast their ballots for the BC NDP last year.Voter turnout in BC has been poor with only one election since 2000 managing to crack 70%. In the most recent elections, 2019 and 2024, turnout was just 53% and 58%, respectively..Where respondents did find common ground, however, was when it came to candidates appearing in debates. Over 75% said they'd support making it mandatory for candidates to attend at least one public debate in their riding to go head to head with their competitors.The poll also asked voters whether they were happy with the current first-past-the-post system. Nearly two-thirds, 65%, said they were satisfied, while only 21% said they were in favour of changing things up.Nearly half of British Columbians, 47%, said they'd like to elect all members of the Legislative Assembly through Party-List Proportional Representation, where "parties make lists of candidates to be elected, and seats get allocated to each party in accordance with the number of total votes the party receives." Support was lower for a Single Transferable Vote system, 43%, and Mixed Member Proportional Representation, 40%.When asked whether permanent residents, foreign students, and temporary workers should be allowed to vote in provincial elections, support varied. A slight majority, 57%, said permanent residents deserved franchise, while only 27% and 26% said the same for foreign students and temporary workers, respectively.East Asians were least likely to support extending voting rights to the aforementioned groups, while Europeans and South Asians were most likely.
