Belonging & Leadership

FEDERAL ELECTION VOTER TURNOUT

Voter turnout for the 2006 Federal Election (electing our Member of Parliament) in Red Deer was 58.7% of eligible voters48. This turnout is 6.0 percentage points lower than the national average (64.7 %49) and 3.2 percentage points lower than the provincial average (61.9 %50)51.

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PROVINCIAL ELECTION VOTER TURNOUT

Voter turnout for the 2004 Provincial Election (electing our Members of the Legislative Assembly) in Red Deer was 41.4%. This turnout was 3.3 percentage points lower than the provincial average of 44.7%52.

MUNICIPAL ELECTION VOTER TURNOUT

In 2004, 27.3% of eligible voters in Red Deer voted in the Municipal Election (electing our Mayor, Councillors and School Division Trustees)53. This was 5.2% higher than voter turnout in the 2001 municipal election54.

There are two separate electoral divisions in Red Deer (Red Deer North and Red Deer South). In the North division in 2004 there are 22,419 people eligible to vote and only 8,713 people voted (38.9%). In the South there are 27,486 people eligible and 11, 964 voted (43.5%). Mobile polls are brought to citizens who are unable to come to the voting stations (i.e.: senior’s homes, hospitals)55.

CHARITABLE DONATIONS

Red Deer’s median charitable donation equaled $280 in 2005, which was 17% higher than the national average and 3% lower than the provincial average. Median donations have increased 22% in Red Deer since 2001, the first year for which data are available56.

VOLUNTEERISM

In 2004, 51.7% of Red Deer’s population volunteered. This was higher than both the national rate of 45.3% and the provincial rate of 47.7%57.

LOCAL VOLUNTEER INFORMATION FOR SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS

In 2005, the Red Deer Public Library had a total of 133 volunteers, 98 literacy tutors, and a total of 3961 hours with 3592 of those being tutoring58.

For Red Deer in, 2001, the total number of volunteers was 11,809, who contributed a total of 1,983, 000 of volunteer hours. The average number of hours volunteered per person is 168 hours59.

This compares to a total of 9,332,132 volunteers, who contributed a total of 26, 800, 000 volunteer hours in 2003. The average number of hours volunteered per person is 2.8 hours60.

The Central Alberta Diversity Association receives assistance from approximately 190 volunteers each year, who donate approximately 650 hours/year61.

PROPORTION OF TAX FILERS DECLARING CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

With the proportion of tax filers that declare charitable donations at 23 % in 2005, Red Deer had 92 % of the national rate and 91 % of the provincial rate. The rate was down 1 % from 200162.

NUMBER OF REGISTERED FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL CHARITIES WITH ADDRESSES IN RED DEER

There were 229 charities and organizations in Red Deer compared to the 8766 charities in Alberta. Red Deer has 2.6% of the total charities in Alberta63.

NUMBER OF REGISTERED SOCIETIES WITH A RED DEER ADDRESS

There are 250 agencies and organizations with addresses in Red Deer as of 200564.

48 Elections Canada. (n.d.) Voting results by electoral district. Retrieved July 13, 2007 from http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2006/default.html back
49 Elections Canada (n.d.) Canada Federal Election 2007. Retrieved July 13, 2007 from http://www.nodice.ca/elections/canada/voterturnout.php back
50 Elections Canada. (n.d.) Number of ballots cast and voter turnout. Retrieved July 13, 2007 from http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2006/default.html back
51 Elections Canada, Official Voting Results 2000, Thirty-eighth General election Table 11: Voting Results by Electoral District, Thirty-ninth general election Table 11:Voting Results by Electoral District retrieved from www.elections.ca; Wikipedia electoral riding placements. back
52 Elections Alberta. 2006. General Elections. Retrieved July 2007 from http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/welcome.html back
53 City of Red Deer. (n.d.) General Election Results 1980-2001. Retrieved July 2007 from http://www.reddeer.ca/NR/rdonlyres/BDCF51FF-54A5-4BB6-A94E-587B73C71974/0/ElectionResults19802001ELC.pdf back
54 City of Red Deer, 2007. 2004 Election Results. Retrieved July 2007 from http://www.reddeer.ca/mondosearch/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=0&page_id=503&query=2004%20election%20results
&hiword=2004%20ELECT%20ELECTED%20ELECTIONS%20ELECTOR%20ELECTORS%20RESULT
%20RESULTED%20RESULTING%20election%20results%20 back
55 F. McDougall, City of Red Deer, personal communication, February 2007. back
56 Statistics Canada, 2005. Table X-4: Median Charitable Donations for Donors in Vital Signs Communities, 1997-2005, 111-0001 series v745963, v746158, v746171, v746184, v746249, v746275, v746314, v746340, v746379, v746288, v746444, v746470, v745976, v745989, v746015, v746028, v746041. Retrieved July 2007. back
57 Canadian Council on Learning, based on Statistics Canada, National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating. http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Reports/CLI2007?Language=EN, CLI interactive results 2007. back
58 Lois Prostelby, Red Deer Public Library Adult Literacy Program Coordinator, (adultlit@rdpl.org) personal communication, February, 2007. back
59 Statistics Canada, Census 2001, Catalogue no.71-542-XIE page32 table 2.1,Retrieved February 2007. back
60 Alberta's Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Report 2003 page 9 and 32. back
61 L. Tewes, Central Alberta Diversity Association (340-2143), personal communication, February 2007. back
62 Statistics Canada, Small Area and Administrative Data Division. Special Request. back
63 Canada Revenue Agency. (n.d.) Retrieved February 2007 from www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/haip/srch/sec/SrchInput01Validate-e back
64 Canada Revenue Agency. (n.d.) Retrieved February 2007 from www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/haip/srch/sec/SrchInput01Validate-e back