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Municipal elections see lowest voter turnout in 40 years

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Early numbers suggest that Monday’s municipal elections saw the lowest voter turnout since records began in 1982.

Preliminary data from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) suggests turnout was just 36 per cent across the 301 municipalities that held local elections.

That’s down two percent from 2018 and is the lowest voter turnout in the past 40 years for the province.

Image courtesy of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).

Brant County saw a voter turnout below the provincial average at 26.54 per cent, about 35 per cent of Hamilton residents voted, while Haldimand County saw a voter turnout of 36.59 per cent.

READ MORE: Former NDP leader Andrea Horwath wins Hamilton mayor’s race

Experts say multiple factors likely contributed to low turnout such as voter fatigue after a provincial election in June and a federal election last fall.

Non-competitive races and the non-partisan nature of local elections also deterred voters with no political party to guide their decisions.