August 9, 2023
Environics Research Group Limited
Youth Focus Groups – Voter Information Campaign GE45
Elections Canada
PN 11894
Recruitment for Group Discussions
Respondent Name:
Home #:
Business #:
Group #:
Recruiter:
GROUP 1 (English)Toronto, ON Youth aged 18–24, NOT visible minority, living in Ontario and eligible to vote in a federal election Tuesday, October 3 5:30 p.m. EST |
GROUP 3 (French)Montréal, QC Youth aged 18–24, living in Quebec and eligible to vote in a federal election Wednesday, October 4 5:30 p.m. EST |
GROUP 5 (English)Vancouver, BC Youth aged 18–24, living in Western Canada and eligible to vote in a federal election Thursday, October 5 5:30 p.m. PST |
GROUP 7 (English)Halifax, NS Youth aged 18–24, living in Atlantic Canada and eligible to vote in a federal election Tuesday, October 10 5:30 p.m. AST |
GROUP 2 (English)Toronto, ON Youth aged 18–24, identifies as visible minority, living in Ontario and eligible to vote in a federal election Tuesday, October 3 7:30 p.m. EST |
GROUP 4 (French)Montréal, QC Youth aged 18–24, living in Quebec and eligible to vote in an election Wednesday, October 4 7:30 p.m. EST |
GROUP 6 (English)Vancouver, BC Youth aged 18–24, living in Western Canada and eligible to vote in a federal election Thursday, October 5 7:30 p.m. PST |
GROUP 8 (English)Halifax, NS Youth aged 18–24, living in Atlantic Canada and eligible to vote in a federal election Tuesday, October 10 7:30 p.m. AST |
GROUP 9 (English)Online (Zoom) Youth aged 18–24, living in rural AB/SK/MB Wednesday, October 11 5:30 p.m. MST |
Six (6) in-person groups in English – two (2) in each of Atlantic Canada (Halifax, NS); Ontario (Toronto); Western Canada (Vancouver, BC), and two (2) in-person groups in Quebec (Montréal).
One (1) online (Zoom) group in English in rural Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba.
Up to five (5) one-on-one in-depth interviews (IDIs) to be conducted online (via Zoom) with participants who qualify for the study and are official language minorities and/or have disabilities preventing them from being able to fully participate in a focus group. Note that everyone recruited for an IDI will be "subtracted" from the group they would have otherwise participated in. For example, if an individual interview is arranged for a potential participant located in Ontario, then only 11 participants will be recruited for the Ontario group, instead of 12.
All must be aged 18–24 and Canadian citizens, making them currently eligible to vote in a Canadian federal election, including those who were eligible to vote in a previous election and those who have since become eligible.
Need representation of the diversity of Canada's youth, with:
Hello/Bonjour, my name is _________ from Environics Research. We are calling today to invite participants to attend an (CHOOSE) *in-person OR online* focus group discussion we are conducting on behalf of Elections Canada about the voter information campaign for the next federal election. The session will last a maximum of 90 minutes and you will receive a cash gift as a thank you for attending the session. Would you like to CONTINUE this discussion in English or French? / Voulez-vous CONTINUEr cette conversation en français ou en anglais?
[NB: Anglophones from Quebec and Francophones from outside Quebec may be offered an IDI to a maximum of five IDIs.]
This study is a research project, not an attempt to sell or market anything. Your participation in the research is completely voluntary and confidential. Any personal information collected is subject to the federal Privacy Act and will be held in strict confidence. All information collected, used and/or disclosed will be made anonymous and used for research purposes only. May I have your permission to ask you or someone else in your household some further questions to see if you/they fit in our study? This will take about five minutes.
NB: If a participant asks for information about Elections Canada, you can say: Elections Canada, headed by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, an agent of Parliament, is an independent, non-partisan agency with unique organizational features that reports directly to Parliament. Elections Canada exercises general direction and supervision over the conduct of elections and referendums at the federal level.
NB: If a participant asks for information on the voter information campaign, you can say: Elections Canada's Voter Information Campaign is a multi-media communications and information campaign implemented during a federal election to provide Canadian electors with key information on when, where and ways to register and vote. The campaign includes direct mail products, an advertising campaign, national and local outreach campaigns, a dedicated general election website, social media posts, media relations and a public enquiries service.
NB: If a participant asks for information on the research company conducting the research they can be told: Environics Research is located at 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 101, Toronto, Ontario, and can be reached at 416-920-9010.
Yes 1 – CONTINUE
No 2 – THANK AND TERMINATE
AGE
1. We have been asked to speak to participants in a particular age range. So that we may do this accurately, may I have your exact age please? _________. WRITE IN
Under 18 1 - ASK Q4
18–24 years of age 2 - RECRUIT FOR GROUP
25 years or more 3 - ASK Q4
2. IF UNDER 18 OR OVER 25 YEARS OR MORE: Is there someone else in the household who is aged between 18 and 24 years of age?
Yes 1 – ASK TO SPEAK WITH THEM; GO BACK TO INTRODUCTION
No 2 – THANK AND TERMINATE: TERMINATION MESSAGE 1
[TERMINATION MESSAGE 1]: Thank you for your interest. In order to participate you must be between 18 and 24 years of age.
CITIZENSHIP
3. Are you a Canadian citizen?
Yes 1 CONTINUE
No 2 THANK AND TERMINATE
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
4. Are you or is any member of your household or your immediate family employed in:
Yes TO ANY OF THE ABOVE 1 – THANK AND TERMINATE
No 2 – CONTINUE
5. Did you work for Elections Canada at a polling station during the federal election held on September 20, 2021?
Yes 1 THANK AND TERMINATE
No 2 CONTINUE
GENDER [RECRUIT 50/50 SPLIT]
6. Could you please provide your gender?
DO NOT READ THESE OPTIONS
VOTED-NOT VOTED [RECRUIT MIX]
7. Have you ever voted in a Canadian federal election?
8. Are you First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit)?
ETHNICITY/BACKGROUND
9. SKIP IF INDIGENOUS: What is your ethnic background?
PROVINCE – Recruit participants close to the focus group's location for in-person groups (i.e. Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Halifax). For online group, recruit from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
10. Please tell me where you live. I am looking for the community or city name and the province.
[NOTE ABOUT GROUP COMPOSITION: For Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, aim for 7 to 9 recruited participants that live in a rural area.]
11. FOR AB/SK/MB ONLY] Would you describe the area in which you live as urban, suburban or rural?
LANGUAGE
12. What language do you speak most often at home? If not English or French, are you comfortable in speaking English or French?
[NOTE: If the participant speaks English for the Montréal group or French for the other groups, ask if they feel comfortable participating in the other language. If not, CONTINUE the questions and offer them an individual interview. See IDI screening at bottom of screener. Note there is an upper limit of 5 IDIs for those who cannot participate due to language minority, disability, or impairment.]
STUDENT/NON-STUDENT [RECRUIT MIX]
13. Are you currently attending secondary or post-secondary studies full-time or part-time?
NATURE OF FOCUS GROUPS
14. Have you ever participated in a focus group or a one-to-one discussion for which you have received a sum of money?
15. When did you last participate in one of these discussions?
[IF IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS, THANK AND TERMINATE]
16. How many focus groups or one-to-one discussions have you participated in during the past 5 years?
(SPECIFY)
[IF 5 OR MORE, THANK AND TERMINATE]
17. Participants in group discussions are asked to voice their opinions and thoughts. How comfortable are you in voicing your opinions in English/French in front of other people? Are you... (read list)
18. For in person groups: The in-person focus groups will require visiting at an in-person focus group facility, participating in a group discussion with 10 to 12 people, viewing and listening to materials on a screen, and possibly writing responses on a piece of paper. The facilities are all equipped with wheelchair accessible entrances, elevators and washrooms. Participants may bring their own devices to type if they are unable to write on paper due to a disability or impairment. With this in mind, do you have any disability or impairment that would prevent you from being able to fully participate in an in-person focus group setting? For online group: Participants in the online group will be asked to participate in group discussions using a video-conferencing platform. Discussions will take place both orally and using the chat function. They will also be asked to listen to and view materials on their screens. Do you have any disability or impairment that would prevent you from being able to participate in an online focus group setting?
IF condition for individual interview in Q12 is met, proceed to screener for IDIs.
Yes 1 – CONSIDER FOR AN INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW – SEE SCREENING FOR IDIS AT END OF SCREENER
No 2 – SKIP TO GROUP INVITATION (OR Q19)
I would like to invite you to attend the focus group session on _______ (TIME, DATE) at __________ (LOCATION) where you will exchange your opinions in a moderated discussion with other people from your community. The session will last 90 minutes in total and you will receive $135 to thank you for your participation.
19. The session will be recorded and observed but your participation will be confidential. Do you consent to take part in the focus group? By agreeing to participate you are giving your consent to these procedures. You will be asked to sign a release to this effect when you arrive at the session.
20. We will contact you again before the date of the session to confirm your attendance. Do you consent to this?
21. Please bring along some form of identification as you will be asked to show it. Only you may attend, you cannot send a substitute. The session is 90 minutes in length, but we are asking that all participants arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time of the session. Are you able to be at the research facility 15 minutes prior to the session time?
22. I would like to invite you to attend the focus group session where you will exchange your opinions in a moderated discussion with other people from your community. The group will take place on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. People who attend will receive $120 to thank them for their time. Would you be willing to participate?
23. The focus group will require participants to go online using a desktop or laptop computer. You will need Internet access in a private and quiet location to take part in the study. You will have the option of using your computer's microphone and speaker, or you will be able to call in with a phone number while using your computer. We cannot provide this technology for you. Will you be able to access the Internet for a 90-minute discussion using a desktop or laptop computer?
24. Are you able to use a high-speed Internet connection and a working speaker on your computer to take part in the session? We require this because you will be asked to look at advertising, including photos, audio and video, that is shared through a website.
25. The session is 90 minutes in length. We are asking participants to log in and join the conference call (via Zoom) 10 minutes prior to the start time of the session. Are you able to do this 10 minutes prior to the session?
26. The session will be recorded and some other members of the research team may also listen in on the session, but your participation will be anonymous. Do you consent to this?
27. We will contact you again before the date of the session to confirm your attendance. Note that this invitation is to you personally, and you cannot have anyone else substitute for you. Do you consent to this?
28. Could you please provide me with your email address so I can send you login details for the Zoom session?
Email address: ____________
PLEASE RE-READ THE FULL ADDRESS BACK TO CONFIRM CORRECT SPELLING.
[NB: We will send the links to you early next week]
INTERVIEWERS: This is a small group and anyone who does not show or cancels at the last minute will compromise the project. Your opinions are valuable and we are serious about finding out what you have to offer.
NOTE: You Will Receive A Confirmation Call The Day Prior To The Session. If For Some Reason You Have Not Heard From Us You Should Contact Us At __________. If Your Name Is Not On The Attendance Form You Will Not Be Admitted To The Group.
[NB, DO NOT READ: A maximum of 5 IDIs may be offered for members of official language minorities or persons with disabilities for whom focus group participation is not possible. Where IDI participants are scheduled, relevant group size will be adjusted accordingly.]
[IF YES TO DISABILITY OR IMPAIRMENT] Environics Research is offering online individual interviews to those who qualify to participate in this study but who cannot participate in a focus group setting. The interview will be conducted with an experienced facilitator from Environics Research, and it will be confidential. After you complete the interview you will be paid $120 to thank you for your time. Are you willing to participate in an interview?
29. Do you have a vision, hearing or speech impairment that may prevent you from being able to participate in an online interview?
IF PARTICIPANT HAS A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN Q29
30. Do you have software installed on your computer that allows you to read and/or process visual materials provided on the screen?
IF PARTICIPANT HAS A HEARING/SPEECH IMPAIRMENT IN Q29
31. Do you have an assistive device or technology that allows you to take part in a discussion over the telephone or Internet?
32. Could you please provide me with your email address so someone from Environics Research can contact you to schedule an interview at a time that is convenient for you? They will only contact you about this project.
Email address: ____________
PLEASE RE-READ THE FULL ADDRESS BACK TO CONFIRM CORRECT SPELLING.
[NB: We will send the links to you early next week.]
Welcome to the focus group. My name is [...]. I work for Environics, a public opinion research company. We are conducting this research on behalf of Elections Canada, the independent, non-partisan government agency that supervises the conduct of elections at the federal level. This research is about a voter information campaign for the next federal election, which will take place no later than October 2025.
We want to hear your opinions. Not what you think other people think, but what you think!
Feel free to agree or disagree. Even if you are just one person here who holds a certain point of view, you could represent thousands of people who feel the same way as you do.
I am here to moderate the discussion and to make sure everyone's opinions are heard. I am not an Elections Canada employee, and I did not create the ad concepts you will be seeing today. I want to make sure you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts openly and honestly.
You don't have to direct all your comments to me; you can exchange your ideas and point of view with each other too. Please be respectful while doing so. One more note about this: we will not be asking you to disclose who you have voted for in the past or may vote for in the future. This group is about the process of voting, not the political parties or candidates running in an election.
There are some people from Elections Canada observing the session.
We are also recording this session to help me write my report. The recording will only be used internally to analyze the research and will not be released or shared with anyone else. I may take some notes during the group to remind myself of things. Anything you say here will remain anonymous and any comments you make will not be linked to you by name in any reporting we do on this project.
It's important for you to be present and engaged in the conversation for the next 90 minutes or so. To prevent distractions, please turn off your cell phones.
Let's go around and introduce ourselves. Please tell us your first name and a bit about yourself, such as where you live, who lives with you, and what you do.
Concept testing (50 minutes/25 minutes per concept, i.e. 5 minutes per product + 5 minutes for concept overall)
[DON'T READ OUT TO GROUP] Concept A: Voting is easy
[DON'T READ OUT TO GROUP] Concept B: Every small X has a huge impact
We are going to begin by looking at two ideas, or "concepts," for future advertising that is designed to inform young Canadians about where, when, and the ways they can vote in the next federal election.
We ask that you do not share or discuss this content outside of today's discussion.
There are different ways of presenting advertisements—in videos or images, on the radio, on social media or the Internet—we are going to be looking at ads in different formats for each concept.
I want to stress that all ads you see are in development, so you may notice some details that seem unpolished. The purpose of today's group is to gather your feedback on the concepts for the ads to help determine which ideas will become the finished ads that are shared with the public.
You will note that the date you see in the ads is October 32. This is meant to be a placeholder.
I am going to show you the first concept and then ask you some questions about it.
Moderator note: Show concept A, ask the questions; then show concept B and ask the questions. Rotate concepts from session to session.
Provide each participant with a sheet of paper to jot down their initial impressions.
On your sheet of paper, I'd like you to jot down some quick responses to a couple of questions:
I will now replay the ad and ask you some more detailed questions about it.
Replay video.
Detailed Impressions of ad(s)
Now I will present you with (another ad/some ads) that are part of the same concept but in a different format.
Next I'm going to play an audio ad that you might hear on the radio. Remember that this is a concept, so the final ad would use a real voice actor and would sound more finished.
NOTE: Moderator to play radio ad.
NOTE: Moderator to show web banner ad on screen for duration of discussion about the ad.
This is a web banner ad that you might see while browsing the Internet.
NOTE: Moderator to show social media post on-screen. For multiple images, scroll through and then share summary slide.
This is a social ad that you might see online.
Moderator to present summary slide of concept elements/products.
Impressions of concept/general reactions
Effectiveness/Call to action
Now we will move on to the second concept.
Moderator will loop back to testing initial and detailed impressions of Concept B in the same manner as Concept A, then proceed to concept comparison.
Concept comparison (10 minutes)
Now that we have reviewed both concepts, I would like you to help us decide which of the two concepts does a better job of informing young Canadians about voting.
Moderator to present concepts again/together as needed.
Discussion questions (as time permits)
Attitudes toward voting and perceptions of the voting process (10–13 minutes)
I would like to turn now to discussing your perceptions about the process of voting in a federal election. Reminder: We are not going to discuss who you might choose to vote for or your opinions of specific parties or politicians. Please don't state your voting intention or ask others about theirs.
Reaching youth (5–7 minutes max)
To finish off, I would like to discuss how you engage with media and information.
Wrap-up (5 minutes)
Finally, what advice, if any, would you have for Elections Canada on how to reach and engage young Canadians so they are informed about registering and voting in a federal election?
Does anyone have any final thoughts on what we saw and talked about tonight?
This concludes the discussion group. Thank you for your participation.
Welcome to the focus group. My name is [...]. I work for Environics, a public opinion research company. We are conducting this research on behalf of Elections Canada, the independent, non-partisan government agency that supervises the conduct of elections at the federal level. This research is about a voter information campaign for the next federal election, which will take place no later than October 2025.
We want to hear your opinions. Not what you think other people think, but what you think!
Feel free to agree or disagree. Even if you are just one person here who holds a certain point of view, you could represent thousands of people who feel the same way as you do.
I am here to moderate the discussion and to make sure everyone's opinions are heard. I am not an Elections Canada employee, and I did not create the ad concepts you will be seeing today. I want to make sure you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts openly and honestly.
You don't have to direct all your comments to me; you can exchange your ideas and point of view with each other too. Please be respectful while doing so. One more note about this: we will not be asking you to disclose who you have voted for in the past or may vote for in the future. This group is about the process of voting, not the political parties or candidates running in an election.
There are some people from Elections Canada observing the session.
HIT RECORD BUTTON NOW
We are also recording this session to help me write my report. The recording will only be used internally to analyze the research and will not be released or shared with anyone else. I may take some notes during the group to remind myself of things. Anything you say here will remain anonymous and any comments you make will not be linked to you by name in any reporting we do on this project.
It's important for you to be present and engaged in the conversation for the next 90 minutes or so. To prevent distractions, please turn off your cell phones.
Let's go around and introduce ourselves. Please tell us your first name and a bit about yourself, such as where you live, who lives with you, and what you do.
Concept testing (50 minutes/25 minutes per concept, i.e. 5 minutes per product + 5 minutes for concept overall)
[DON'T READ OUT TO GROUP] Concept A: Voting is easy
[DON'T READ OUT TO GROUP] Concept B: Every small X has a huge impact
We are going to begin by looking at two ideas, or "concepts," for future advertising that is designed to inform young Canadians about where, when, and the ways they can vote in the next federal election.
We ask that you do not share or discuss this content outside of today's discussion.
There are different ways of presenting advertisements—in videos or images, on the radio, on social media or the Internet—we are going to be looking at ads in different formats for each concept.
I want to stress that all ads you see are in development, so you may notice some details that seem unpolished. The purpose of today's group is to gather your feedback on the concepts for the ad to help determine which ideas will become the finished ads that are shared with the public.
You will note that the date you see in the ads is October 32. This is meant to be a placeholder.
I am going to show you the first concept and then ask you some questions about it.
Moderator note: Show concept A, ask the questions; then show concept B and ask the questions. Rotate concepts from session to session.
Provide each participant with a sheet of paper to jot down their initial impressions.
In the chat window, I'd like you to jot down some quick responses to a couple of questions:
I will now replay the ad and ask you some more detailed questions about it.
Replay video.
Detailed impressions of ad(s)
Now I will present you with (another ad/some ads) that are part of the same concept but in a different format.
Next I'm going to play an audio ad that you might hear on the radio. Remember that this is a concept, so the final ad would use a real voice actor and would sound more finished.
NOTE: Moderator to play radio ad.
NOTE: Moderator to show web banner ad on screen for duration of discussion about the ad.
This is a web banner ad that you might see while browsing the internet.
NOTE: Moderator to show social media post on-screen. For multiple images, scroll through and then share summary slide.
This is a social ad that you might see online.
Moderator to present summary slide of concept elements/products.
Impressions of concept/general reactions
Effectiveness/Call to action
Now we will move on to the second concept.
Moderator will loop back to testing initial and detailed impressions of Concept B in the same manner as Concept A, then proceed to concept comparison.
Now that we have reviewed both concepts, I would like you to help us decide which of the two concepts does a better job of informing young Canadians about voting.
Moderator to present concepts again/together as needed.
Discussion questions (as time permits)
Attitudes toward voting and perceptions of the voting process (10–13 minutes)
I would like to turn now to discussing your perceptions about the process of voting in a federal election. Reminder: We are not going to discuss who you might choose to vote for or your opinions of specific parties or politicians. Please don't state your voting intention or ask others about theirs.
To finish off, I would like to discuss how you engage with media and information.
Finally, what advice, if any, would you have for Elections Canada on how to reach and engage young Canadians so they are informed about registering and voting in a federal election?
Does anyone have any final thoughts on what we saw and talked about tonight?
This concludes the discussion group. Thank you for your participation.