Early voting window opens today in Ontario winter election

With one full week to go before voting day, Elections Ontario is working to reverse a recent downward trend in voter turnout, which set a record low of 43 per cent the last time Ontarians went to the polls in 2022. 

That election happened in June.

As a contrast, this vote is set to take place on Thursday, Feb. 27 in the midst of what continues to be a stormy winter in most regions of the province. This week's snowstorm in southern Ontario led to widespread road closures, hindering political canvassing efforts in the areas north of London. 

It's enough to give some voters an excuse to sit this one out. However, Elections Ontario spokesperson Greg Flood said there are multiple ways to vote in this election, and contingency plans are in place should rough weather strike again on voting day. 

"We're trying to make voting in Ontario as easy as possible for all Ontarians," he said. "We do recognize there could be weather challenges in the future, but we're going to adapt and adjust to those to make sure we're taking the necessary steps to ensure people can cast their ballot on the 27, or during the advanced voting period." 

There are a number of ways to vote, including vote by mail, advanced voting and even voting at home for people with mobility challenges. Information about all the options is listed here on the Elections Ontario website. Advanced voting begins Thursday and continues through to Saturday. 

Flood said Elections Ontario will be ready to take measures to ensure everyone can vote if there's bad weather. He pointed out that voting times were extended in some Eastern Ontario ridings due to weather in the 2022 election. Flood said if anything like that happens this time, voters will be able to find information on the Elections Ontario website or on their social media channels. 

Will voters vote? 

In 2022, voter turnout was low in London's three central ridings: 

• London North Centre: 42 per cent. 
• London West: 49 per cent. 
• London-Fanshawe: 37 per cent.

CBC News spoke shoppers at White Oaks Mall on Wednesday about their voting plans. The south London mall is located in London-Fanshawe. 

Larry Wright, a retired hospital worker, said he's not yet decided if he's going to vote. He said he'd be motivated to cast a ballot if he heard a good plan from any candidate on how to deal with economic uncertainty caused by tariffs threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. He's worried about the auto industry in particular. 

"A lot of the men and women that work for those companies could be out of a job, and those are good paying jobs," he said. 

Michael, who declined to give his last name, said he won't be voting because he doesn't like any of the options. "I'm just further left than most of the candidates," he said.

That's not the kind of decision you can make on a whim. You have to put as much thought into that as you can.- Eric Simon, London voter

Eric Simon, 25, said he's committing to casting a ballot on Feb. 27, but he's not yet made a decision.

"There's a lot of uncertainty these days with rising costs of everything," he said. "We need a sense of certainty and someone who can put us on a path. That's not the kind of decision you can make on a whim. You have to put as much thought into that as you can." 

Amy Brydges, 30, said she's motivated to vote because she's been unhappy with the current PC government. 

"The past administration has made some decisions that have really not been beneficial to me," she said. "So I want to get my voice out there in what little way I can and say 'No, this is not good.'" 

Senior Darlene Baird hasn't yet made a firm decision about whether or not she'll vote. 

"I was thinking about it, but I'm not sure," she said. "I'm not sure who to vote for anymore. Everything has gone haywire. I'm turning 70 this year, and we need to have better health care." 

Student groups work to spur engagement

And while young voters are often singled out for staying on the sidelines during elections, that isn't the case at Western University. Western has active student groups focused on politics, some of them tied to political parties. 

The UWO Conservatives group has held weekend canvassing events for candidates in London's core ridings, including Jerry Pribil (London North Centre) and Beth Allison (London West). 

The NDP also has an active student group at Western. The group's co-chair Alex Wild said their 40 members are helping local NDP campaigns and trying to engage students of all political stripes in the election. She said the cold weather isn't keeping them inside.

"A bunch of people in our group are knocking on doors every day working on the campaigns," said Wild. "It's definitely cold but if we don't vote, decisions still get made but they're just made without student input."

Any Canadian citizen who lives in Ontario and is 18 years or older on Feb. 27 can vote, and can call a toll-free number (1-888-668-8683) or write to [email protected] with questions.