Liberals dropped in on-reserve voting in 2019 federal election as NDP remained on top – CBC

Jan 08, 2020

Conservatives saw an increase, but finished a distant third in on-reserve voting

Liberal support among voters living on reserves fell significantly in October’s federal election, as the New Democrats remained the top choice. But the Liberals nevertheless retained more than two-thirds of the support they had gained in the previous election, before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s stated commitment to Indigenous reconciliation hit some obstacles during his first four years in office.

Indigenous engagement in the 2015 federal election was high, with turnout reaching a historic summit of 61.5 per cent on First Nations reserves. While the NDP won that vote, the Liberals made significant inroads among First Nations voters, more than tripling their support.

On-reserve turnout figures for the 2019 federal election are not yet available, but an analysis of Elections Canada data by CBC News finds that the New Democrats were able to win the vote in on-reserve polling divisions for at least the third consecutive election — but their lead over the Liberals was virtually unchanged from four years before.