Toronto sees record-low voter turnout and people have thoughts

Did you vote in Monday's Toronto municipal election? There's a statistical probability that you did not, as just a fraction of the city's eligible voting base showed up to cast their ballots in what is certainly looking to be a historic low voter turnout.

As per report, Toronto only had 29.2% voter turnout for the municipal election. That is the lowest in history since municipal elections started keeping record. Anyone who brags about a majority and won't do anything to fix the turnout number is 😵‍💫

— Paul 🇨🇦🇮🇹 (@stclairwest1975) October 25, 2022

Based on the figures available on Tuesday morning — full election results are expected later in the week — it looks like just 29 per cent of voters turned out on Monday, a significant drop from the 41 per cent who showed up to vote in the 2018 municipal election.

Voter turnout in 2022 hit record lows, with only 29% of Toronto voters and 43% of Ontario voters bothering to cast a ballot.

I’m so sad and angry for everyone whose lives will be made harder with these mediocre men making decisions.

And mediocre is generous.#TOpoli#Onpoli pic.twitter.com/OEdweBq4Dz

— Jenny Lee Shee (@jennyleeshee) October 25, 2022

John Tory secured a third term with a landslide victory, earning another four years at City Hall. And though the margin was wide, only 551,886 votes were cast for mayoral candidates out of approximately 1.89 million eligible voters as per the city's unofficial results.

Long story short, most people just couldn't be bothered to dedicate a portion of their day to an election outcome that almost seemed predetermined based on advance polling.

For those asking, municipal voter turnout in Toronto vs. provincial/federal elections, 2000-2022. pic.twitter.com/Tov5lcVy5M

— Gabriel Eidelman (@GabrielEidelman) October 25, 2022

But this apparent apathy towards the most basic form of municipal engagement has become the real discussion topic on social media the morning after Tory's widely-predicted reelection.

This is nothing to be proud of. If your preferred candidate didn’t win, or lost by less than 150 votes that’s because of low voter turnout. Toronto, give your head a shake🙄#TOpoli https://t.co/PQDK9Dm7U0

— Beth Levy (@Beth_Levy66) October 25, 2022

And as bad as it was in Toronto, it seems that voter apathy is a province-wide issue, as other municipalities saw worryingly low turnout on Monday.

Want to know what’s disappointing? Low voter turnout.

29% in Toronto
44% in Ottawa
35% in Hamilton
40% in Sudbury
…etc.

How do we get people motivated to get out and vote? It’s getting embarrassing. #onpoli #municipalelection2022 #cdnpoli #GOTV

— Dakota Kochie (@dakotakochie) October 25, 2022

Only 25 per cent of Brampton voters turned out to cast ballots, a statistic that has been met with disappointment on social media.

Toronto had 29%.

Brampton had 25%.

Waiting to see Markham's turnout. They had online voting, and something like 93% of votes cast were online, but I'm curious if the online option increased voter turnout overall.

— G.M. Forbes (@gmforbes35) October 25, 2022

People seem perplexed that in a city as important on the global stage as Toronto, a mayoral candidate can easily secure a W with just a few hundred thousand votes.

Toronto wakes up to a returning Mayor Tory at the helm..what won't ever be spoken of, is the really low voter turnout. That's the real message Torontonian's are sending, interpret it as you wish. 300,000+ votes wins you Mayor in Canada's largest city. #TOpoli #onpoli

— Mike (@RapTheRealtor) October 25, 2022

The 2022 voter turnout is a stark contrast to the scenes of the 2014 election that saw John Tory defeat now-Premier Doug Ford, who had stepped in to run in place of Rob Ford after the latter's cancer diagnosis.

As voter turnout appears to be heading for a record low, this is what the scene looked like back in 2014 with people lined up around the block in downtown Toronto. Voter turnout then was 60%
@ConsumerSOS looking at the results of #Decison2022 #TOpoli https://t.co/3f8HQvuwD0

— Simon Ostler (@SimonOstler) October 25, 2022

It felt like a whole lot more was on the line in 2014, but Toronto's lacklustre showing in the 2022 election came on the heels of Premier Doug Ford announcing strong mayor powers for Ontario municipalities, meaning that Tory will have new sweeping power for his third lap around City Hall.