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Older communities in Greater Victoria record higher turnout

Oak Bay and Sidney rank first and second in voter turnout
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George Richardson and Trudi Seibel voted in Sidney. With an average of 54.6 years. Sidney followed with a turnout of around 51 per cent. (Hugo Wong/News Staff)

Is there a correletion between the average age of a community and the likelhood of voter turnout during an election?

These correlations are not causation and the relationship is not quite congruent, but the oldest communities of the Greater Victoria were also among the communities with the highest voting turnout in the 2018 general election.

RELATED: CIVIC ELECTION: Large voter turnout seen in Saanich, Oak Bay

Oak Bay, with an average age of 49.2 years, according to Statistics Canada, had the highest regional turnout rate with 53.57 per cent. Sidney followed with a turnout of around 51 per cent and an average age of 54.6 years. Metchosin, with an average age of 46.5 finished third with a turnout rate of 43.6 per cent. North Saanich with an average age of 50.4 years finished fourth with a turnout of 43.5 per cent. Sooke with an average age of 40.4 rounds out the Top 5 with a turnout rate of 41.77 per cent.

But this apparent relationship between demographics and democracy somewhat departs when it comes to Saanich. With an average age of 43.5, its turnout rate of 38 per cent was below communities of a similar age. Victoria with an average age of 44.5 recorded a turnout of 44.84 per cent.

On the flipside, the community with the lowest regional turnout — Langford with 18.49 per cent — is also among the ‘youngest’ with an average age of 38.6 years.


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wolfgang.depner@saanichnews.com



Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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