[Ottawa - June 29, 2010] EKOS Research Associates would like to announce that during the summer months, we will be returning to bi-weekly reporting on vote intention. Our next vote intention poll will be released on July 8th and we will continue to report every two weeks after that.
Reporting on federal vote intention every second week will allow us to augment our sample size, allowing for even more robust regional samples…
[Ottawa – April 23, 2010] - In the course of an interview with the Globe and Mail columnist, Lawrence Martin, this week, I made some suggestions for a strategic course that presented itself to the federal Liberal Party.
My intention was to foment debate. However, I used incendiary language that had not been carefully enough considered. I recognize now that my stark language was understandably offensive to some Canadians.
In that light, I wish to retract my remarks and unreservedly apologize for making them.
Unfortunately, my comments have led to some misunderstanding about me and EKOS Research Associates, of which I am founder… [More...]
CONSERVATIVES TIED OR LEADING IN EVERY REGION BUT QUEBEC
[Ottawa – March 18, 2010] - The federal Conservative Party has re-established a clear, statistically significant lead over the second-place Liberals. This follows a six-month period during which the governing party fell from majority-government territory into a virtual tie with the opposition Liberals.
The Conservatives have the support of barely a third of Canadians, and they owe their first-place status in part to the continued weakness of the Liberal Party.
The Liberals, who surged into the low thirty percent range during January, now seem to have settled back into the high twenties.
“This is a… [More...]
Due to the upcoming holidays, we will be taking a short hiatus and we will return with an update on Canadian federal voting intentions on January 7, 2010.
Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year…
COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS BY FRANK GRAVES
[Ottawa – December 17, 2009] – Many have commented on the dismal overall rates of voter participation in Canada (the anaemic rates declined to historical nadir in 2008). This lack of participation was particularly pronounced amongst the under-45 population; “Generation X” had weak voting rates, and the younger “Generation Y” stayed home in droves. This was in sharp contrast to the significant spike up in voting rates amongst young Americans in the last Presidential election (a crucial factor which propelled Obama to victory). In Canada, there was and is no current Obama analogue, and younger… [More...]
CANADIANS WANT INTERNET VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS
[Ottawa – December 17, 2009] – Canadians strongly favour the introduction of voting over the internet according to a major poll of Canadians conducted by EKOS Research Associates for the CBC.
Nearly half of Canadians say they would “very likely” vote online if that option were available to them. Another 15% say they would be “somewhat likely” to do so.
Not surprisingly, young people, who have had lower rates of voting than their elders in recent years, are the most enthusiastic about internet voting.
“Canada’s already anaemic voter turnout hit a historic low in 2008,” said EKOS… [More...]
IN ASSOCIATION WITH CBC NEWS NETWORK’S POWER AND POLITICS, EKOS RESEARCH ASSOCIATES IS CONDUCTING SURVEYS USING QUESTIONS AND TOPICS SUBMITTED BY VIEWERS. EKOS PRESIDENT, FRANK GRAVES LOOKS AT THE RESULTS OF THIS WEEK’S SURVEY.
[Ottawa – December 3, 2009] – Despite announcements that the recession is over, we see an unusual pattern among the public where management of the economy continues to be the dominant election issue (named by 31%), followed by social issues (27%). While the environment and climate change continue to be important issues for Canadians (tied with fiscal issues at 18%), they have yet to reclaim the salience… [More...]
It is interesting to compare the first week of the polling period and the final week of the polling period.
Two notable findings are evident. First of all, the Conservatives’ lead dropped by two points (from 37.7 to 35.7). Secondly, the ten-point advantage that the government enjoyed on “right direction” for federal government evaporated in the second week where right and wrong direction were tied for the first time in two months.
Against the backdrop of the growing controversy of Afghan detainees, these trends bear careful monitoring.
Click here for results: update_to_release_november_26
[Ottawa – November 19, 2009] - EKOS Research Associates is pleased to announce that, starting today, its highly successful series of weekly polls conducted for exclusive release by the CBC will be moving into a new phase in cooperation with Evan Solomon’s Power and Politics program on the CBC News Network.
Later today, on Power and Politics, Evan will be releasing the results of a survey question suggested by a viewer. We will be reporting on a similar viewer-suggested question every second week on Power and Politics.
The CBC will be selecting the question for each of these surveys, in cooperation with… [More...]
ONLY ALBERTANS NOW SUPPORT WAR IN AFGHANISTAN; NEARLY HALF OF CANADIANS WANT COMPULSORY VOTING
[Ottawa – October 1, 2009] – In this week’s EKOS tracking poll, Stephen Harper’s Conservatives sustained the lead they have built up since the threat of an election first emerged in late August. The Liberals now lead only in the Atlantic provinces, and although they are holding up reasonably well in Quebec, the fallout (if any) from their internal difficulties there this week is probably not yet measurable.
NDP SAG ON SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT?
[Ottawa – September 24, 2009] – The federal Conservatives, who were locked in a dead heat with the Liberals just three weeks ago, have edged steadily into a comfortable lead nationally, according to the weekly EKOS poll conducted for the CBC. The Conservatives now appear to be competitive even among some groups, such as young voters and Toronto voters, once largely beyond their reach.
CANADIANS SAY “NO” TO FALL ELECTION BY MARGIN OF MORE THAN 2-1
[Ottawa – September 10, 2009] – After a summer in which the two major parties have been in a virtual tie more often than not, Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have now opened up a small but statistically significant lead in the wake of the Liberal Party’s threat to force a federal election this fall.
The most significant changes took place in Ontario, where the Liberals have surrendered their previous lead to the Conservatives, and in Quebec, where the Liberals
MUCH TIGHTER RACE THAN THIS TIME LAST YEAR
[Ottawa – September 3, 2009] – For the second year running, Canadians head into the Labour Day weekend with talk of a federal election in the air. But this time, neither party has reason to feel confident of the outcome.
This week’s EKOS Research poll, conducted for the CBC, finds the ruling Conservatives in a dead heat with the Liberals. In each of EKOS’s weekly polls through July and August, the race between the two parties has been very, very close.
LIBERALS HEAD TO NATIONAL CAUCUS WITH GRIP ON ONTARIO SLIPPING
[Ottawa – August 27, 2009] – At their national caucus in Sudbury next week the federal Liberals may be considering whether to take down the minority Conservative government when Parliament resumes in the fall. But this week’s national sample of vote intention by EKOS Research, for exclusive release by the CBC, suggests they may want to think twice.
The Liberals are now in a statistical tie with the Conservatives in Ontario – their traditional heartland, the province they need
Due to holiday schedule, we are not posting an analysis this week. Regular reporting will return next week.
To view the top line results and the tables, please click here: 0779-full-report-_august-20_
CANADIAN POLITICAL LANDSCAPE CONTINUES TO FLAT LINE
[Ottawa – August 13, 2009] – Although the political landscape in Canada looks significantly different from the election last year, it has more or less flat lined since the spring.
“If our vote intention tracking chart was a national cardiogram, it might be time to pull the plug,” said EKOS President Frank Graves. “The only really notable change is that the NDP are up slightly from recent weeks, which may reflect the discussion about a possible name change.”
RECESSION OVER? NO WAY, SAY CANADIANS OVERWHELMINGLY
[Ottawa – August 6, 2009] – Canadians overwhelmingly believe we are still in a recession, despite the recent pronouncement of the Bank of Canada that growth has returned to Canada in the current quarter, marking an end to the recession in technical terms. Eighty-six per cent of us say we are in some sort of recession or depression.
Indeed, almost as many Canadians believe we are in a depression as those who buy the good news that the recession is over, according to this latest in a weekly series
LIBS HAVE NARROW EDGE IN CLOSE NATIONAL RACE
[Ottawa – July 30, 2009] – A majority of Canadians approve the job the Harper government is doing to deal with the H1N1 virus, also called the swine flu. While media stories have ebbed and flowed about the seriousness of the pandemic, both currently and in the future, a majority of Canadians are content that the federal government is adequately prepared.
It is worth noting, however, that younger people, who are most vulnerable to the H1N1 virus, are also the least supportive
ONTARIANS CONTINUE TO VACILLATE
[Ottawa – July 9, 2009] – Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff may have been flipping the flapjacks this last week in Calgary but there’s no need to worry about a political stampede.
The two parties have hit the summer stretch in a dead heat.
“It is clear, nonetheless, that Ignatieff’s persistent attempts to woo Albertans have gone nowhere so far,” said EKOS President Frank Graves. “Ontario continues to be the place where governments will be made or unmade.”
CANADIANS PULL BACK ON VACATION PLANS DUE TO RECESSION
[Ottawa – July 2, 2009] – After having taken a hit with the public over their election threats at the end of the parliamentary session, the Liberals have rebounded into the narrowest of leads over the ruling Conservative Party. This reversal in fortunes has more to do with the disappearance of a short-term bump in Conservative support that occurred at the end of the session than any change in Liberal fortunes.
“This is a pattern we have seen several times since
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For media inquires, please contact:
Frank Graves
President
EKOS Research Associates
t: 613.235-7215
fgraves@ekos.com