Low turnout expected in 2022 Toronto election amid indications of lack of interest
Posted September 24, 2022 7:11 pm.
Last Updated September 24, 2022 7:33 pm.
Saturday marked 30 days to go until the Toronto election, but as the campaigning continues there are indications of a lack of interest among voters this year.
“I’m knocking on the doors and some people don’t even want to hear about it. They’re tired of the pitches that politicians are bringing them and not even seeing the solutions,” Rocco Achampong told CityNews on Saturday.
With that sentiment, Toronto city council candidates have their work cut out for them. They’re trying to gauge interest and convince voters they’ll make a difference.
Achampong is one of 12 candidates running to be the next councillor for Ward 10 Spadina–Fort York. It is one of seven wards in Toronto where it’s a clean slate with no incumbent running for re-election.
In 2014, Toronto’s voter turnout was at 60 per cent before a significant drop to 41 per cent in 2018. Some suggested the last-minute reduction by the Ford government of the number of wards in Toronto may have been partially responsible.
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Ward 10 candidate April Engelberg said she’s hoping to see an increase in people coming out to vote.
“In order to get people out, I think it’s important to have a platform and have a platform with real ideas that you actually thought about that actually affects people in this ward,” she said.
The lack of a party system and budget, like there is on a provincial or federal level, can also make it more difficult for those running to get the word out.
“There’s a distance between people in their day-to-day lives and the places where they make decisions like the city council table. For me, connected, responsive and present representation is a huge priority,” Ward 10 candidate Ausma Malik said.
The provincial election in June may have suggested what’s to come locally as there was a record-low 43 per cent of Ontario residents turning out to vote.
“I think this is a warning signal about the state of public interest, engagement, participation in democracy and political institutions,” Myer Siemiatycki, a professor emeritus of politics at Toronto Metropolitan University, told CityNews.
“Municipal politics generally runs lowest under the radar screen of public awareness or attention.”
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Residents CityNews spoke with on Saturday had mixed reactions to the upcoming vote. Some encouraged people to get out to vote while others weren’t as enthusiastic.
“It doesn’t matter who gets into power. My life is the same. Nothing changes for me,” one person said.
“Kind of indecisive on whether to vote or not, so we’ll see as we get closer to the date,” another resident said.
Meanwhile, City of Toronto officials ramped up their efforts to make it easier to vote such as the introduction of mail-in voting.
There will also be three more days of advance voting. You’ll be able to vote in advance any time between 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from October 7 to October 14.
Election day is on Oct. 24 and polls will be open between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
With files from Nick Westoll
