Canadian Municipal Elections See Widespread Low Voter Turnout
Voter turnout dropped across several Canadian municipalities in October 2026, with Hamilton recording its lowest participation rate in four election cycles.
Municipal elections across Canada in October 2026 were marked by low voter engagement. In Ontario, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario reported an average turnout of 36 percent across 376 municipalities. In Hamilton, turnout fell to 31.6 percent, the lowest level in four election cycles, with 147,196 of 465,861 eligible voters casting ballots. This decline occurred despite expanded advance voting and ward-wide polling access, though the city did not offer mail-in or online options.
In the Hamilton mayoral race, Keanin Loomis won with 41.77 percent of the vote, followed by Rob Cooper and incumbent Andrea Horwath. Neighboring Burlington reported a higher turnout of 35.5 percent, which utilized online voting. In Belleville, turnout dropped to 35.8 percent from 39.6 percent in 2022. City Clerk Doug Irwin noted that while more total votes were cast, a population increase of 7,498 eligible voters caused the overall percentage to decline.
Regional trends varied in British Columbia, where Smithers recorded a 42.2 percent turnout. Kitimat saw participation rise to 32.6 percent from 21.7 percent in 2022, a shift potentially linked to Mayor Phil Germuth facing a challenger or a promotional race involving a dog named Gus.
