Elections spending up, voter turnout down

In the last decade, spending at Elections Canada has more than quadrupled—from $32 million in 1998-1999 to an expected $138.6 million this year. At $30.9 million, the portion of that total sum that goes toward programs—such as enforcing party financing rules, public education and redrawing electoral boundaries—is ten times what is was in the 1990s ($2.6 million in ’98-’99). Ironically, as the Ottawa Citizen points out, the agency’s spending has grown despite lagging voter turnout.

Ottawa Citizen