Election race close

(Updated) With just three days to go, the race to be Ontario’s next premier is close.

The three major party leaders are heading down the final stretch to Thursday’s election.

The final days of the campaign will see a frantic push to get voters casting their ballots. It’s a neck-and-neck race between the front runners, but have the three major parties leaders done enough to get Ontarians voting? We will soon see.

There has been a rapid decline in voter turn out over the years. In the 1990 provincial election over 64 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot helping the NDP win. But turnout has dropped every election since and a record low was made in 2011, when only 48 per cent of eligible voters went to the polls.

If you’re having trouble deciding who to vote for, None of the Above is now an official option in some ridings. The None of the Above Party of Ontario has candidates in eight ridings.

Party leader Greg Vezina says his party is pressing for politicians not to be bound by party control. They also want recall and term limits for provincial politicians. In addition to choosing from among 20 registered parties, you also have the option to decline your ballot.

But the major party leaders have been campaigning today and hope to pick up some more votes.

PC leader Tim Hudak started the day off in Ottawa calling the Liberal and NDP campaigns “negative.” With the election on Thursday, Hudak said, as Ontarians inch closer to the voting polls, the more desperate the NDP and Liberals will become.

“They look like they are more worried to protect their own jobs. I speak positively about my plan to create jobs and to get the province moving again. I’m not asking you to vote against the other parties, I’m asking you to vote for my plan.”

The PC leader said if he is elected premier on Thursday, Ontarians will have a leader who will get the province back to work with his million jobs plan.

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath invoked the late Jack Layton’s name today on the campaign trail.

Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne had slammed Horwath for refusing to rule out supporting the Progressive Conservatives in a minority government. Wynne says the NDP is no longer the party of former federal leader Jack Layton.

But Horwath fired back, saying Wynne can’t even stand in the shadows of past NDP leaders. She wouldn’t rule out forming a coalition, but said that’s not why she’s in the race.

“I’m running to be the premier of this province. I want to respect the people’s decision on Thursday, but I can tell you one thing for sure, I will not support 100,000 families being kicked to the curb, I will not support corrupt Liberals.”

Horwath says Layton fought the same battle she is fighting today against “Liberal corruption” and “Liberal entitlement.” The party leaders continue their campaigning today and we will have a full story on the Evening News at 6.