Latest news with #DemocraticEngagementExchange
CBC
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
The GTA worst voter turnout in Ontario in the last federal election. Here's why
The Greater Toronto Area is often the place where federal elections are won and lost, but despite its political importance voter turnout continues to be a problem. The region was home to nine of the 10 Ontario ridings with the lowest voter turnout in the 2021 federal election. Turnout was the lowest in King-Vaughan, where only 48.62 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot. King-Vaughan resident Lawra Marzetti was surprised to find out one of every two eligible voters stayed home on election day. "I think people are in a little bit of a bubble here. It's an affluent area and I feel maybe they feel as though their wealth or their future is untouchable," she said. Experts say many factors can influence voter turnout in a given riding, including the level of education and economic and social challenges. John Beebe, director of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, says another factor is when people feel less connected and engaged in their communities. "When we see it as our contribution to our community, we're more likely to vote," said Beebe. Polls analyst Eric Grenier says the number of new Canadians in the area can also influence the turnout. "The voting might be a bit of a new thing and whether they think they're registered on the list or not can play a role in it," he said. "We think about a lot of how the national media race is primarily done in English, I think that can have a role in terms of communities that might have English as a second or third language that they don't feel like they're being really engaged in the race." Markham-Unionville had 5th worst turnout in Ontario Markham-Unionville had the fifth worst voter turnout in Ontario, with 51.52 per cent of eligible voters casting ballots. The riding is considered unpredictable by some experts, says Grenier. Most recently, Liberal incumbent Paul Chiang stepped out of the race after suggesting a Conservative rival should be turned over to the Chinese consulate in return for a bounty. "When there is no incumbent on a ballot, that often has the biggest change in voter behaviour because a lot of voters will then take a look at the candidates a little bit more, feel a little bit less of that loyalty they might have," said Grenier. "They might be more impacted by the national race than they would be if their incumbent was still on the ballot." Alfred Chan, a resident of Markham-Unionville, says he always votes, despite his riding's low voter turnout. "You have to vote, that's the basic right and power that you have," he said. "As a citizen you need to be responsible, otherwise you cannot complain because you didn't do your basic responsibility." Resident Mary Liu says she skipped an election once because she felt like her vote wouldn't make a difference. "It just seemed like the votes were already there," she said. "Whether I was for or against it, it just seemed like it was already made up." But she says people should put these thoughts aside and cast their ballots. "We should try to make time to vote because everybody's vote counts." Here are the GTA ridings with the lowest turnout: King-Vaughan: 48.62 per cent. Humber River-Black Creek: 48.72 per cent. Etobicoke North: 49.48 per cent. York South-Weston: 50.55 per cent. Markham-Unionville: 51.52 per cent. Scarborough-Agincourt: 52.55 per cent. York Centre: 52.68 per cent. York-Simcoe: 53.24 per cent. Brampton Centre: 53.29 per cent.
CBC
01-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'Generational' election: U.S. threats could drive higher voter turnout, experts say
'Definitely possible' more people in border communities will turn out to vote, professor says A "generational" election — that's how some political observers are describing the race unfolding in ridings across Canada right now. The stakes are high, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening both Canada's economy and sovereignty. That could lead to higher turnout at the polls as Canadians decide which party is best equipped to tackle the threat, experts say. "We're dealing with an existential kind of an election where we're facing issues as a country that we have not seen before at any time in our history," said Cameron Anderson, professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario. "I think the situation that we're in would suggest that that turnout should be, I would think, robust or at the very least maintaining the kinds of levels that we've had federally in the last while," he said. The reality of Donald Trump crashes into the federal election Canadians expected to respond at ballot box to Donald Trump's threats Turnout in the last federal election was a little over 62 per cent — a notable drop from the 75 per cent averages of the 1980s, or the nearly 80 per cent turnout of the early 1960s. It's too soon to say just how high turnout could be this time around. Still, early indicators of voter engagement underscore the unusual and outsized effect a U.S. president is having on a political race north of the border. They also portend a potential reversal of years of declining turnout in Canadian elections, especially in border and trade-reliant regions like Windsor-Essex in southwestern Ontario, experts say. "It's definitely possible that you'll see higher turnout in those bordering ridings with the United States because they are so front and centre in this battle of rhetoric, and now action, that's being taken by the American government," said Julie Simmons, an associate professor of political science at the University of Guelph. "So we could see, definitely in those ridings, more attention to the campaigns than before and therefore more interest in voting them before," she added. Trump on Wednesday is set to announce a fresh tranche of tariffs against foreign nations, but the details are unclear. He's already implemented — and pulled back — 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, and has maintained 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. The tariffs — particularly any targeting the automotive industry — could be devastating for Canadian manufacturing hubs like Windsor, economists and industry analysts have warned. U.S. auto tariffs may be less severe than initially thought, says Doug Ford The president has also repeatedly said he wants to make Canada the "51st state." "I think anytime people are on edge or uncertain that there is a chance to sort of take that energy and direct it towards civic engagement," said John Beebe, head of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University. Beebe — whose team provides civic groups, such as YMCAs and libraries, nationwide with voter education and outreach materials — said interest seems "higher than normal" so far. "In terms of community organizations, there's definitely a recognition that this is a very consequential election," he said. Beebe said "it's always dangerous to try to predict" voter turnout. "But on this one, I'm willing to go a little bit more out on a limb. And I do think we could certainly see higher turnout than we've seen in recent provincial elections." Turnout in Ontario's February election was roughly 45 per cent, up slightly from the province's all-time low of 44 per cent in 2022. He said he's also hopeful turnout will be higher than the last federal election in 2021, when it was roughly 62 per cent. He said it "would be great" to see turnout hit 68 per cent, like it did in 2015 — the highest it's been since the 1990s. "A lot of it really will depend on the candidates and their ability to sort of put out a positive message," he said. Though Simmons says the U.S. threats could motivate voters in certain ridings, she points out that it failed to drive people to the polls more broadly in the recent Ontario election. "So on the one hand, we might expect that because it's a generational election, there would be a higher voter turnout," she said. "If we look at the precedent set by the provincial election, we might hesitate in drawing that conclusion at this time." But for Anderson, who teaches courses on Canadian elections and voting, two main factors determine turnout rates: Both "the stakes of the election" and "the sense of closeness" of the race. "In the most recent provincial election in Ontario, there we sort of had a winner from the start and there wasn't that sense of a close race," Anderson said. "And I think at some level the turnout rate reflected that." But federally, Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives and Mark Carney's Liberals sit fairly close in national polls. That tight race, combined with the U.S. threats, could motivate voters to hit the polls in higher numbers, Anderson said. New Majority, a non-profit focused on getting young people to vote, says it expects turnout to rise among those under 30 — but especially among 18 to 24-year-olds. "Turnout in 2021 was down due to the pandemic and a pause with on-campus voting — which we have confirmed is back this year," said Amanda Munday, a spokesperson for the organization. "Many young people we talk to are angry about their future and feel a great sense of dread and anxiety — but there is also awareness of the importance of mental health, and taking action, especially in light of the dangerous '51st state' rhetoric coming from the U.S.," Munday said. "We intend to reach tens of thousands of young people through our 1:1 efforts this federal election and hope to see turnout increase by at least 5 per cent for the 18-24 age group," she added. Media Video | CBC News: Edmonton at 6:00 : What's driving young voters in Canada's federal election? Caption: With Canada's 45th federal election coming up, Gen Z voters are determined to make an impact, with many of them casting ballots for the first time. Their participation will play a role in determining the outcome of the election. As Elections Canada aims to engage this younger demographic, we asked young voters about the issues driving them to the polls. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Local candidates who have started door-knocking say they, too, have heard concerns about Trump. "Voters recognize this election is the most important of our lifetime — one that will shape our future, our country, and our way of life," said Liberal candidate Richard Pollock. "In Windsor West, voters are telling me they are worried about their jobs and families. They are deeply concerned about Donald Trump's tariffs, his threats of annexation, and the devastating impact these could have on the region's lifeblood: the auto industry," he said in a statement. Alex Ilijoski, the NDP candidate in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore, says he's heard "from so many people about the direction the country is heading, especially with the ongoing uncertainty around tariffs and Donald Trump." "They're worried about their jobs, healthcare, and sky-high rent that is starting to price them out of the community," he added. Local Conservative candidates Mark McKenzie and Harb Gill did not respond to a request for comment.
CBC
24-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Haven't received your voter information card? Don't panic
Social Sharing Some Ottawa residents have yet to receive their voter information cards ahead of Ontario's provincial election on Thursday, leaving them confused about how to cast their ballot. Elections Ontario says on its website voter information cards were mailed via Canada Post between Feb. 17 and 22, meaning some could still be on their way. In an email, Canada Post explained that it handles a large volume of election materials, including approximately 10.5 million voter information cards. Due to the recent snowstorm, some areas in the province may be experiencing delivery delays. However, if your card doesn't arrive in time, you can still cast a ballot by bringing a piece of identification with your name and home address to your assigned voting location. You can determine your assigned voting location by entering your postal code into the Elections Ontario electoral district search bar. Challenges with a snap election John Beebe, founder of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, explained that in a snap election it's difficult to keep people informed about the election process. "I think not having the voter information cards is a challenge. It's the one piece of information everybody gets to know, when, where, and ways to vote," Beebe said. While voters can still cast a ballot without it, delays in delivery may shake voter confidence, he explained, adding that he believes more time should have been given to prepare for the election — both for officials and for voters. "Having another week or two would make a difference. And I think that's what we're seeing here," Beebe said. "We have a shorter election period with a snap election." Combating misinformation Barrhaven resident Brenda Wood has been trying to combat online misinformation about voter cards. After she noticed social media posts incorrectly stating people must have a voter information card to cast a ballot, she decided to take action. "People just weren't sure," Wood said. "They were like, 'What do I do if the card doesn't come for the election next Thursday?'" Wood took to her neighbourhood Facebook group in the hopes of helping others navigate voting. "I was just motivated to post because I want to see more people getting out and going to vote and not feeling like they don't have enough information, or they don't qualify to make a choice," she said. Wood, who hadn't received her card yet, participated without any issues in the advanced voting period, which took place from Feb. 20 to 22. Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday.
