1942 Canadian conscription plebiscite

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1942 Canadian conscription plebiscite

April 27, 1942 (1942-04-27)

Are you in favour of releasing the Government from any obligations arising out of any past commitments restricting the methods of raising men for military service?
Advertisement appearing in The Canadian Champion (Milton, Ontario, April 23, 1942) soliciting votes for the 1942 Canadian conscription plebiscite.
Results
Choice
Votes %
Yes 2,945,514 65.62%
No 1,543,006 34.38%
Valid votes 4,488,520 96.76%
Invalid or blank votes 150,327 3.24%
Total votes 4,638,847 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 6,502,234 71.34%

Results by province and territory

A plebiscite on conscription was held in Canada on 27 April 1942.[1] It was held in response to the Conservative Party lobbying Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King (Liberal leader) to introduce compulsory overseas military service, the government having previously promised not to introduce same in 1940.[2] The result was 66% voting in favour,[2] with Quebec being the only province to have a majority voting against. Quebec's strong majority against the comitment's release prompted the prime minister not to pursue the issue until later events prompted a change in position.

Content[edit]

The following question appeared on the ballot:


Are you in favour of releasing the Government from any obligations arising out of any past commitments restricting the methods of raising men for military service?
:
Consentez-vous à libérer le gouvernement de toute obligation résultant d'engagements antérieurs restreignant les méthodes de mobilisation pour le service militaire?

Opinion polling[edit]

Completion Date Polling firm Source Yes No Undecided Lead
April 27, 1942 Official results 65.62% 34.38% 31.24%
March 1942 Gallup [3] 64 28 8 36
February 1942 Gallup [3] 60 24 16 36
December 27, 1941 Gallup [4] 60 30 10 30

Quebec polling only[edit]

Completion Date Polling firm Source Yes No Lead
April 27, 1942 Official results 27.9 72.1 44.2
March 1942 Gallup [3] 25 75 50
February 1942 Gallup [3] 39 61 22

Results[edit]

National[edit]

Canadian conscription plebiscite, 1942
National results
Choice Votes %
Referendum passed Yes 2,945,514 65.63
No 1,543,006 34.37
Invalid or blank votes 50,327 1.08
Total votes 4,638,847 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 6,502,234 71.34
Source: Nohlen[1]

By province[edit]

Canadian conscription plebiscite, 1942
Provincial results
Jurisdiction Yes No
Votes % Votes %
Alberta 186,624 71.1 75,880 28.9
British Columbia 253,844 80.4 62,033 19.6
Manitoba 218,093 80.3 53,651 19.7
New Brunswick 105,629 69.8 45,743 30.2
Nova Scotia 120,763 77.1 35,840 22.1
Ontario 1,202,953 84.0 229,847 16.0
Prince Edward Island 23,569 82.9 4,869 17.1
Quebec 375,650 27.9 971,925 72.1
Saskatchewan 183,617 73.1 67,654 26.9
Yukon 847 74.4 291 25.6
Total civilian vote 2,670,088 63.3 1,547,724 36.7
Military vote 251,118 80.5 60,885 19.5
Canada 2,921,206 64.5 1,608,609 35.5

The referendum was held in all 245 electoral districts, which covered all nine provinces and one of the two territories. Residents in the Northwest Territories did not have a vote, as their area was not organized as an electoral district.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p127 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. ^ a b Nohlen, p130
  3. ^ a b c d "64 p.c. of Canadians would free govt. from manpower promises". The Evening Citizen. March 14, 1942. p. A1.
  4. ^ Gallup and Fortune Polls. (1942). The Public Opinion Quarterly, 6(1), 140–174. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2745046