The municipal election that just happened was relatively uneventful without major drama or surprises.
For one thing, 16 out of 25 councilors were re-elected as incumbents, unsurprisingly. Mayor John Tory won a third term with a whopping a 40 point victory over his nearest competitor. Most of the politicians who were re-elected won by either a really small or large margin, including the counselor in my ward, Anthony Peruzza, who defeated the person in second place by 40% and has served on the city council since 2006. Here in Etobicoke Centre, Steven Holyday won again, serving his 3rd term and beating the competition by 60% of the vote.
It was noted in an article from the CBC that there is a reduction in polling stations throughout the city. Toronto had 1,700 voting locations in the previous election in 2018, but this year, despite the city’s population explosion, it is down to 1,460 voting locations. This may have been one factor in the historically low voter turnout. Only 29% of eligible voters cast ballots.
There were some changes. An example of this is Ausma Malik, who won the seat in Spadina-Fort York, becoming the first Muslim woman on City Council. In conclusion, while there have been some changes, the apparent voter apathy as well as major challenges faced by the mayor and council could make for an interesting four years.