Voter turnout in municipal elections has been abysmal, 27-29% average. less than a 1/3 of the voters care about who runs their municipal government. That’s the government that cleans you sidewalks, plows your streets, collects your garbage, manage your sewers, paves your streets, trims you public trees…the govt that is touching your life, your home, the street where you live…every day. And the majority of voters, more than 70% are passive about it. Don’t care about who is in that office. Arent interested enough to take a few minutes out of one day every 4 years to select who they want managing their municipal govt. Amazing!
LET’S WORK ON CHANGING THAT NUMBER. LET’S GET THAT VOTER TURNOUT OVER 35% LET’S SHOW EVERYONE WE CARE. We care about our muncipal govt. Our municipal leaders. We care to select our municipal leaders ourselves. We care !
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Shaun Rickard, candidate for MAYOR, sees it as a problem and writes about it:
Pickering, and all of Canada for that matter, we need to talk about voting
Over the past while, I’ve heard from residents across Pickering, in conversations, in emails, and all over social media, who are frustrated. Frustrated with the direction of our city. Frustrated that decisions being made don’t seem to reflect what the community actually wants. Frustrated, and honestly, tired of feeling unheard.
I hear you. And I think it’s time we talked honestly about why that keeps happening.
Here’s the number that should stop all of us in our tracks: in the 2022 municipal election, only 20,786 ballots were cast out of 76,305 registered voters in Pickering. That’s a turnout of just 27.24 percent, meaning nearly 73 percent of registered voters didn’t vote at all. And that doesn’t even count the residents who weren’t registered in the first place.
Let that sink in. The council that makes decisions about our roads, our development, our taxes, and our future was elected by roughly one in four eligible voters.
So here’s the hard truth. If we want change in Pickering, complaining on social media isn’t enough. Signing petitions isn’t enough. Being frustrated isn’t enough. The only way this city changes direction is if the people who want that change actually show up and vote.
And it starts before election day. It starts with making sure you’re even eligible to cast a ballot.
Register Now, It Takes Two Minutes
www.registertovoteon.ca
If you’re not currently registered, you cannot vote, no matter how strongly you feel about the future of this city. Registering now means you’ll be ready when it counts.
Mark Your Calendar
Pickering’s next municipal election is Monday, October 26, 2026.
This is our chance. Not to just talk about change, but to actually vote for it.
If you’re frustrated with where this city is headed, don’t just post about it. Register. Show up. Vote. That’s how Pickering actually changes.
Share this with a neighbour, a friend, or a family member who’s been talking about wanting change in Pickering. The only way we get there is together, and it starts with making sure everyone is registered.
Shaun Rickard
Candidate for Mayor, City of Pickering
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who knows