By Indrani Thakurata
A dangerous cycle is emerging in municipal politics, one that threatens the very foundation of local democracy. With the historic low voter turnout in 2022 detailed in the recent Elections Benchmarking Report, experts now highlight a self-perpetuating cycle of apathy, where dwindling participation undermines the mandate of local government, subsequently deepening public disengagement.
This crisis of apathy was starkly visible in Peel Region during the 2022 cycle. Fewer than 25 per cent of eligible voters in Mississauga and Brampton cast a ballot. The silence of the majority is deafening, leaving political analysts grappling with a difficult question: In a growing, dynamic city, why is it so challenging to get people to vote?
For many residents, the answer lies in a deep-seated feeling of neglect.
“The City is unfamiliar with ground realities, with program costs in community centres going up and the services remaining the same. We cannot hide behind the excuse of inflation all the time,” says NN, a resident of Mississauga. “Am sure the councillors are working hard at their end, but the city council as a whole has lost touch with the people. The elite doesn’t care, young doesn’t bother, and the middle class thinks nothing will change. So who will vote and why?,” he adds. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=4510002701
Smita Parte, a Ward 10 resident, echoes this sentiment of futility. “I think people don’t vote because they think the elected leader won’t do anything for the community,” she says.
The “Why”: Journalism, Parties, and Fatigue
The reasons for the decline are complex, stemming from a mix of structural issues and bad timing.
The Erosion of Local News
The decline in local journalism has left voters navigating the municipal landscape in the dark. Without robust local media outlets to scrutinize platforms and hold comparisons with the same intensity as federal or provincial coverage, voters are often left to research candidates entirely on their own—a barrier high enough to keep many at home.
“I have never voted in municipal elections, there isn’t much noise about it. It comes and goes, many of us aren’t aware of the timings,” admits Vishnu Vardhan, a resident of the City. Echoing similar sentiments, Mina Syed says, “There is very little information out there.”
The Missing Shortcuts and Confusion
Unlike higher levels of government, Ontario municipal politics lacks a formal party system. Some observers suggest introducing local political parties could provide voters with ideological “shortcuts” to understand a candidate’s views quickly, boosting engagement. Without these labels, the cognitive load on the voter is significantly higher.
Ashish Fitkariwala, a Ward 5 resident, observes that many voters—especially the youth and newcomers—feel disconnected from candidates and often do not understand what the city council actually does.
“He highlights specific barriers such as “not knowing the candidates, being too busy on election day, or confusion about ID, ward boundaries, or voting locations.”
Sanjana Kumari of Ward 10 notes that this confusion affects demographics differently. “Family with kids will be more conscious about voting, single men/women or youngsters will be less inclined and there are a few obvious reasons,” she explains. “Could be lack of trust in the political system or candidate, schedule challenges to make to voting location, admin issues like misplace of voting card, lack of information on voting location/process/candidate etc.”
The “Perfect Storm” of Fatigue
According to the City of Mississauga’s 2022 Municipal Election Information report, logistical factors also suppressed the vote. Residents were exhausted, having been called to the polls five times between 2018 and 2022 for various levels of government. Furthermore, Election Day coincided with Diwali, a major festival for Mississauga’s South Asian community. While advance polls were available, the timing—set by provincial legislation—created an unavoidable conflict for many. “ Voters fatigue is real. Too many elections in a year can be very frustrating,” says NN.
The Public’s Wish List vs. The Reality
When asked what would bring them to the polls, residents are vocal about the need for better engagement.
“I also think we don’t see enough campaigning around elections,” says Debashree Sarkar, Ward 10 resident, who offers several solutions. “Make local elections feel more relevant with clear, simple info on how city decisions affect daily life. Boost visibility with better social media coverage and easy candidate comparisons. And make voting super convenient with more advance polls and online options.”
Rosemarie Sanchez agrees that the gap is educational. “We require more volunteers knocking doors and more funds from government providing information for people understanding the process of electing their leaders through individual Wards etc,” she says.
Common suggestions also include declaring Election Day a holiday, offering payments for voting, or implementing digital voting. “I am lazy to go out and vote. I would like a digital voting or voting over messages. That would be so convenient,” asserts Mina Syed, a proud Mississauga resident. However, the City’s recent Benchmarking and Election Technology report suggests that digital convenience is not a silver bullet.
The Digital Voting Paradox
The benchmarking report highlights a critical finding: technology does not guarantee turnout. The City of Vaughan, which utilized internet voting, still saw a turnout of only 26.96 per cent—barely higher than Mississauga’s paper-ballot election.
Mississauga continues to resist full digitization, maintaining a “paper ballot” philosophy. The City argues this ensures security and allows for physical recounts—safeguards that remote internet voting cannot fully guarantee. The report emphasizes the risks of voter coercion in unsupervised environments and the lack of a physical audit trail.
Innovation Without Internet: The City’s Plan
While the City is cautious about internet voting, it is innovating to remove physical barriers for the upcoming October 26, 2026 election.
The Vote Anywhere Success
One proven success from the benchmarking data is the Vote Anywhere program. Enabled by a real-time digital voters’ list, this allows residents to vote at any polling station in the city during advance polls. In 2022, nearly 22 per cent of advance voters cast their ballots outside their home ward, proving that location flexibility is a key driver for those who do vote.
New for 2026: Vote from Home
To address accessibility, the City Clerk is investigating a “Vote from Home” program. Unlike mail-in ballots or internet voting, this high-touch approach would see election staff visit the homes of voters with mobility issues to verify their ID and accept their paper ballot in person—combining convenience with high security.
The Challenge Ahead
As Mississauga looks toward 2026, the data indicates that while technology like “Vote Anywhere” removes logistical friction, the bigger barrier is psychological.
Fixing the “downward spiral” will require more than just new machines or convenient locations. It will require a revitalization of civic connection—whether through stronger local media, better civic education, or structural changes to how we understand local politics. Until then, the City is preparing the infrastructure, hoping that if they build it, the voters will finally return.
(Previously Published in Voice Of Mississauga)
