toronto election

What election day used to look like in Toronto

Thanks to advances in technology, elections have changed a great deal Canada over the last hundred years. Tallying machines and electronic voting have made it (much) easier to find the winner, reporters are no longer required to huddle around telephones to file reports, and crowds of people no longer form outside newspaper offices waiting for information.

With today's vote in mind, here's a look back at federal, provincial, and municipal elections of the past in photos. Sadly, this time there will be no boxes of ballots or rooms full of election staff tallying votes like the good old days.

toronto election

Crowd outside the offices of the Toronto Telegram offices on the night of the 1908 provincial election.

toronto election

Reporters at City Hall on election night, September 14, 1926.

toronto election

A team of election night staff tally votes on adding machines in 1926.

toronto election

Liberal poster calls on voters to give premier George Drew the boot in 1948

toronto election

George Drew billboard that same year. Drew won while Liberal candidate Farquhar Oliver placed third.

toronto election

Adding machines used to count votes during the 1957 federal election.

toronto election

More election staff counting votes, 1957.

toronto election

Canadian Press reporters during the federal election of June 10, 1957. John Diefenbaker won.

toronto election

Ballot boxes during the 1964 North York election.

toronto election

Al Greenwood and Dick Roberts demonstrating procedure for deputy returning officers and poll clerks.

toronto election

Election boards during the 1964 North York election.

toronto election

A list of candidates on the 1964 North York ballot.

toronto election

A hive of activity during the count for the 1964 election.

toronto election

Workers in the North York Clerk's Office verify voter information over the phone in 1964.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: Toronto Public Library, B 10-36a and B 10-38a; City of Toronto Archives.


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