Low voter turnout is a threat to democracy in Ontario

Our democracy has never seemed so disconnected. What will it take to revive the democratic impulse at a time when the pulse is especially weak?

Ontario politics has never been so disrupted.

Beyond the front-page headlines, our democracy has never seemed so disconnected.

By any measure, the electorate is more alienated and disengaged than at any time in the history of the province — especially if you look at the biggest measure of all:

In the last two elections, barely half of Ontarians bothered to cast a ballot — an embarrassing 48 per cent voted in 2011, and a dispiriting 51 per cent turned out in 2014.

They were the worst showings by civic no-shows in our democratic history. And far worse turnouts than in any other provincial or federal election ever.

With the next election coming in roughly 100 days, Ontario’s democratic deficit is creating a crisis of confidence that no party can solve alone. No matter who wins on June 7, the worsening turnouts will prove a losing proposition for everyone — the politicians and the people.

That’s why the leaders of Ontario’s four biggest parties will meet onstage Wednesday at Ryerson University to brainstorm together about how to boost democratic engagement. As moderator, I will be challenging them for ideas about how they as politicians — and we as citizens — collectively can do better, before it gets worse.

This will be an unprecedented pre-election gathering of rivals — Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne, PC Leader Vic Fedeli, the NDP’s Andrea Horwath and Green party Leader Mike Schreiner — a recognition that the warning signals are impossible to ignore.

A new public opinion survey conducted for the Toronto Star ahead of the Ryerson Democracy Forum suggests that the very authority of our elected governments is being undermined by those meagre voter turnouts.

More than six in 10 Ontarians (62 per cent) believe that “the legitimacy of the government is called into question” if less than a majority of eligible votes are cast in a general election, according to the polling by Campaign Research.

The sample of 4,500 eligible voters (1 per cent margin of error) is a devastating indictment of our downward spiral. Our democratic discourse is disrupted beyond recognition among young voters, and is remarkably distant for New Canadians.

There was a time, in living memory, when 71 per cent of Ontarians routinely voted in elections — as they did back in 1971, the year that Ontario’s oldest living former premier, Bill Davis, first won the job. There are still times when the people of this province turn out in large numbers, as they did in the 2011 federal election — 70 per cent voted, compared to that dismal 48 per cent figure in the provincial ballot of the same year.

We know that many Ontarians come from countries where the right to vote is a matter of life and death. How to explain that foreign passion for democracy versus apathy at home?

Wagging our fingers won’t help. Making people feel guilty won’t make them vote.

What will it take to revive the democratic impulse at a time when the pulse is especially weak? The polling by Campaign Research provides interesting clues:

The biggest single reason people don’t vote — cited by more than onethird of all Ontarians — is they believe they can’t, because they are somehow not registered. This belief is almost certainly wrong in most cases, because voter rolls are compiled automatically using tax filing data. A majority of college or university-age voters (18-24 years old), and the vast majority of newcomers (five to 10 years in Canada) also think they can’t vote, when they probably can. This finding cries out for targeted information from the media, electoral authorities, political parties, and activist groups.

Mandatory voting is the law in Australia, but remains a long shot here — Ontarians are evenly split on fines for those who don’t cast ballots. Yet, interestingly, nearly two-thirds of those born outside Canada support compulsory voting — more evidence of their sense of civic duty and democratic engagement, which could be harnessed with greater outreach. Where there is a will, we need to show the way — even if it remains voluntary.

Better campaign platforms and information are also the top reasons cited by voters for what would make them more likely to participate.

A question for readers: Why don’t you vote, and what would make you turn up for the June 7 Ontario election? What do you believe our political parties and leaders should do differently?

Democracy is an opportunity. Which is why a vote is a terrible thing to waste.