Toronto's advance voter turnout declines again

Toronto voters were given three extra days to cast their ballots in advance this election, including over the Thanksgiving long weekend.

Despite the extra opportunities, advance voter turnout fell by almost seven per cent from 2018, and almost 30 per cent from 2014's record turnout.

Between Oct. 7 and 14, only 115,911 voters cast their ballot at one of 50 advance voting places across Toronto, according to a city news release.

City figures show that in 2018, 124,299 residents voted early over five days of advanced voting at 51 voting stations.

In 2014, that number was even higher. Over six days at 45 polling stations, 161,147 people voted in advance — something the city called a "landmark achievement."

The declining advance voter turnout comes at a time when the most incumbents in recent memory — seven of 25 councillors — are calling it quits, guaranteeing at least seven new faces in council chambers this fall.

This year's race has featured one major mayoral debate so far, with a second one scheduled by the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. ET.

On election day, Monday, Oct. 24, voters can head to 1,460 polling locations across the city from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m to cast their ballot. For more information, you can check out the city's voting website.

Over 1.8 million in the city were eligible to vote in the 2018 election, but only 41 per cent cast a ballot, slightly more than the provincial average of 38 per cent. 

That was also a decline from 2014, an election which saw record turnout, when 60 per cent of eligible voters turned out to elect John Tory over now-Premier Doug Ford, who stepped in mid-campaign for his brother, Rob Ford.