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.
Crowd outside the offices of the Toronto Telegram offices on the night of the 1908 provincial election.
Reporters at City Hall on election night, September 14, 1926.
A team of election night staff tally votes on adding machines in 1926.
Liberal poster calls on voters to give premier George Drew the boot in 1948
George Drew billboard that same year. Drew won while Liberal candidate Farquhar Oliver placed third.
Adding machines used to count votes during the 1957 federal election.
More election staff counting votes, 1957.
Canadian Press reporters during the federal election of June 10, 1957. John Diefenbaker won.
Ballot boxes during the 1964 North York election.
Al Greenwood and Dick Roberts demonstrating procedure for deputy returning officers and poll clerks.
Election boards during the 1964 North York election.
A list of candidates on the 1964 North York ballot.
A hive of activity during the count for the 1964 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.
Join the conversation Load comments