[Jacks]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/less-th...ader-1.1206432

Less than half the almost 300,000 people who signed up to take part in the federal Liberal leadership race have registered to vote, despite getting an extra week in which to do so.

As of late Thursday, shortly before the midnight deadline, almost 43 per cent of supporters and members — some 126,000 — had registered.

The party had originally set a deadline of Mar. 14 but acquiesced to a request by front-runner Justin Trudeau's camp to extend the registration period by one week, over the objections of several rival camps.

The Trudeau team argued the extra time was needed because the party was having trouble getting registration packages to more than 100,000 people, mainly Trudeau supporters, who signed up without providing email addresses.

However, the extension produced only about 21,000 additional registered voters. That's despite a controversial move by the party over the weekend to call those who hadn't registered and give them the chance to do so on the spot, sparking accusations that party brass were showing favouritism toward the front-runner.

Hundreds of those who have registered may yet be disqualified. The list of registered voters is to be finalized by the party by midnight Sunday and all leadership camps will then have until midnight Tuesday to mount challenges against those they believe may be invalid.

Various camps say there are numerous suspect registrants, including a number of instances in which dozens of people — in one case more than 100 — have provided the same email address or home address.

The Liberals had hoped to significantly broaden the once-mighty party's base by allowing for the first time a new class of supporters — not just dues-paying, card-carrying members — to vote for the next leader.

But while the recruitment of 294,000 supporters and members was encouraging, the fact that almost 60 per cent failed to take the next step and register leaves the party with fewer eligible voters than the NDP had for its leadership contest last year.

New Democrats, who allowed only members to vote, boasted a record 131,000 eligible voters. Ultimately, just less than half of them cast ballots.

Liberal insiders fully expect a large chunk of their eligible voters will similarly fail to cast ballots, which will be done online or by phone during the week of April 6.

Still, Trudeau maintained the supporter experiment has been a big success.

And the demographic is.

http://www.cp24.com/news/liberal-lea...ians-1.1202969

Of those for whom an age is known, 59 per cent are 50 years of age or older. Only eight per cent are under the age of 25.

Another 13 per cent are between the ages of 25 and 34 and 19 per cent are aged 35 to 49.

Over the past three elections, the Liberal party's base has shrunk steadily, concentrated in Toronto with pockets of support in Atlantic Canada, Vancouver and Montreal.

The registration numbers thus far show the party's base remains heavily concentrated in Ontario. It accounts for 46 per cent of registered voters, boosted by high membership and supporter numbers in Toronto ridings.

British Columbia accounts for the second largest chunk of registered voters, with just less than 13 per cent.