Conservatives struggling to attract young, urban voters: poll

A new poll from Leger asked Canadians which party they would vote for if a federal election were to be held today.

The results showed the Liberals slightly ahead of the Conservatives, with the NDP not too far behind. There were, however, stark differences when the numbers were broken down by demographics and location.

According to the poll, 26 percent of Canadians said they would cast their ballot for the Liberals, 22 percent for the Conservatives, and 17 percent for the NDP. Those numbers jumped to 32 percent, 28 percent, and 21 percent, respectively, among "decided voters."

The poll broke down the sample by province, gender, age, and location. While the Liberals continue to maintain a lead in Atlantic Canada, as well as Ontario, Quebec, and BC, the Conservatives have a strong grip over the prairies.

In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, for example, support for the Conservatives is nearly double that of the Liberals, and vice versa in BC.

Support for the Liberals is equal among men and women, while the Conservatives and NDP received more support from 5 percent more men, and women, respectively.

Conservatives struggle to attract younger voters, with only 23 percent of those aged 18-34 saying they'd cast their ballots for the party. The NDP, on the other hand, is ahead with that demographic at 30 percent.

When it comes to location, the poll found that 35 percent of Canadians living in urban settings support the Liberals, compared to just 24 percent for the Conservatives. This trend is reversed among those living in rural Canada.

The poll listed interim leader Candice Bergen as the head of the Conservative Party. In September, the party will hold a leadership election to formally replace previous leader Erin O'Toole. As it currently stands, Pierre Poilievre is the front runner, with Jean Charest and Leslyn Lewis trailing.