Vaughan municipal election voter turnout plunges to 27% in 2018 from 40% in 2010

City says drop in participation could be blamed on high citizen satisfaction with life in Vaughan

Yorkregion.com
November 1, 2018
Tim Kelly

One thing is clear about Vaughan and the past three municipal elections.

For whatever reason, voters are clearly turning up in fewer and fewer numbers.

Only 27 per cent of those who could vote in Vaughan did so in the Oct. 22 municipal election, down from 30.3 per cent in 2014 and well down from the 40 per cent who voted in 2010.

It’s a bad news-good news story, according to the City of Vaughan, however, as city staff suggest surveys showing extremely high levels of citizen satisfaction could mean the low voter turnout indicates people are happy with those currently in the job.

Indeed, all the local councillors were re-elected and two of the three regional councillors, as well as the mayor, were returned to office.

“One element that may have influenced voter turnout this year is the high satisfaction levels Vaughan residents have with our city. In the most recent Citizen Satisfaction Survey, Vaughan citizens reported a 97 per cent satisfaction with City services and processes, contributing to a high quality of life. ‎Clearly, based on our survey results and the re-election of many of our Councillors means that we're doing things right, and we've been given a mandate to continue on this path,” said a statement from the city when asked to explain the low voter turnout.

The city said it did its best to promote the election “across multiple communication channels, in the lead up to candidate registration, which opened May 1.”

“The City’s communications efforts covered all aspects of the municipal election including voter registration, household voter card mailouts, requirements to be able to vote and proxy voting.”

The city did push voting on social media, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, in newspaper ads, in the city’s own biweekly e-newsletter, on its city hall televisions and poster stands, its 10 city-owned digital signs throughout Vaughan, its Vaughan.ca home-page banners, voting posters and elsewhere. There were advance voting locations and polling stations available as well.
Vaughan wasn't alone as all York Region municipalities, with the exception of Markham, experienced a decrease in voter turnout.