Toronto's municipal elections don't seem to catch fire with the electorate. What's up with that? The turnout is dismal at best or at worst --- depending on on which side of the equation you belong. There's a sense of disconnect among the city electorate.
Let's look at the new arrivals --- the soon-to-be Canadians --- with landed immigrant status. They (if interested in the election process at all) wait for three years before they're granted the right to vote. Might there be a sense of non-inclusion pervading this segment of our city's population?
The Toronto Star calls it the 39 per cent problem. In the Star article, a question was asked about how was a mayor elected. A lack of clarity of the voting process be it municipal, provincial or federal. Besides the lack of clarity there's a feeling of cynicism, indifference and frustration.
Toronto may trumpet its multiculturalism to the world but that might be the underlying factor why there is such a low voter turnout. Members of these ethno-cultural communities don't show up at the polls. Door-to-door campaigns and convincing our multicultural neighbours that every vote counts fall on deaf ears.
I have voted in every election since became a Canadian citizen in 1995. I have volunteered in mayoral and federal election campaigns and worked for Elections Canada.
But that's me. I want to have my voice heard through the ballot box.
Interesting post. Why don't immigrants vote? Don't feel connected, maybe. Too busy trying to get work and build a new life. Maybe they don't come from a democratic tradition and so don;t think they're vote matter or the system is honest. All good questions. Keep it up.
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