Voter turnout in Toronto’s municipal election was on track to hit a record low, sitting at publication time at around 29 per cent of eligible voters, although not all votes had yet been counted.
Voter turnout in Toronto’s municipal election was on track to hit a record low, sitting at publication time at around 29Sabreena Delhon, executive director of the Samara Centre for Democracy, a non-profit organization that does independent research on Canadian democracy, said low turnout is a big problem.
The voter turnout number is an unofficial estimate, calculated with election results on the city’s website. Toronto’s all-time highest voter turnout was in 2014 when 60 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots. Three high-profile candidates — Rob Ford, who eventually dropped out due to a cancer diagnosis and was replaced by his brother Doug, John Tory and Olivia Chow — faced off that year.on changes to the city ward boundaries and a less competitive mayoral race. The lowest was in 2000 at 36 per cent.
“This is about finding more effective ways to engage voters,and a key piece there is the representation aspect; people need to see themselves reflected in the election,” she added.