Turnout made elections a farce

Re Time to end the campaign, Editorial, Oct. 31

The recent municipal and provincial elections were a farce of democracy. Compared to the eligible voting public, only a small fraction took part and an even smaller fraction elected the premier or local politicians under the antiquated first-past-the-post system. Even with online voting, just over 30 per cent of the population voted in my riding, a slight drop from the previous election. As a long-time proponent of online voting to empower voters and make it as easy as possible to cast their vote, I was dismayed at the Newmarket results.

It is a sad statement on our democracy or lack thereof, when people cannot take five minutes to vote at any time, day or night, by phone or online. It couldn’t be easier and yet the vast majority of people did not vote.

Whether through apathy, lack of interest, disgust or simple unwillingness, it is no wonder that the likes of the populist Doug Ford are elected. If the majority of sane, sensible, concerned and humanitarian voters don’t vote, radical voters will carry the day, as they have in the United States and in Ontario.

How can candidates represent tens of thousands of people with a clear conscience when only a handful elected them?

The lackadaisical attitude of most politicians (including our prime minister who abandoned electoral reform, one of his key election promises) is unacceptable. What we have now is a farce. There is no democracy in Ontario or anywhere else. Robert Bahlieda, Newmarket