Thank you, Chair.
Through you, I want to thank both of the witnesses for being here.
We heard today and in the past that over four million Canadians are living outside of Canada, which is about 11% of our population. Many of these citizens remain deeply connected to Canada. That's what we're hearing. They represent our values internationally, and now they have the right to vote in federal elections, yet what we're hearing is that voter turnout among Canadians abroad remains low. It's a fraction of the potential electorate, which is why I'm happy to have this study to address that gap.
I appreciate the opportunity to talk about these practical solutions, whether we're talking about modernizing voting methods, improving outreach or reducing the administrative barriers. Those are all things that we've heard ensure that every Canadian, no matter where they live, can fully participate in democracy.
I'll start with you, Dr. Turnbull.
We're hearing about low voter turnout. I'm trying to think if this is by, let's say, choice or lack of information. I feel like I have it down to three categories: people who choose to not vote, people who don't have the proper information, and then people not being able to vote. Is that a fair assessment?
Would you be able to, in your best estimate, say what percentage of people just don't want to vote, what percentage don't have information on how to vote, and what percentage are trying and can't vote? What would your best idea of the breakdown be?