Less than a third of eligible Caledon voters hit the polls this year

Mayor-elect says she expected higher turnout

By Zachary Roman

This year, 17,939 people voted in Caledon's municipal election.

That's less than a third of the Town's 56,538 eligible voters, meaning Caledon's voter turnout was 31.73 per cent.

That's a slight drop from the 2018 Caledon municipal election, when voter turnout was similarly low at 32.28 per cent. In 2018, 16,528 of the Town's 51,590 eligible voters cast a ballot.

Mayor-Elect Annette Groves said she had expected a little bit higher of a turnout for this year's election.

She said it's important to encourage people to get out and vote, and the way to do that is by making people feel like their voice matters.

“People say, ‘Why should I even bother voting? It's going to be the same thing anyway.' As elected officials, we need to demonstrate to the public that not all politicians are the same,” said Groves. “This next term of Council, we need to show the residents that we have their best interests at heart, that we're all working for them. I think if we can demonstrate that to the people, you will find better voter turnout.”

Ward 2 Councillor-Elect Dave Sheen said while it might not be surprising, seeing a low voter turnout is disappointing.

“I always say your vote is your voice,” said Sheen. “I was really hoping for a greater turnout. I don't think it says anything about the candidates in the election, I just think voter apathy is unfortunately becoming typical at the municipal level.”

Laura Hall, Caledon's Town Clerk and Director of Corporate Services, said in a statement to The Citizen that the administration of the 2022 Municipal and School Board Election was a success.

She said the Town used many different ways to inform and encourage Caledon residents to vote, such as digital and print advertising, social media, and signage.

“The Election Team's dedication to customer service and making the voter experience memorable went a long way. Recognizing Caledon's diversity, and in keeping with the spirit of inclusive customer service, in addition to English and French, most of our communication was available and posted in Italian and Punjabi,” said Hall in the statement.

“We have received a lot of positive feedback and that is something we are proud of. We thank all those that participated in the election and for making it the success that it was.”

Hall said feedback about the election from residents is welcome, and those interested in sharing said feedback can email legislative.services@caledon.ca or call 905-584-2272, extension 2366.