Advance voting in the 2025 Ontario provincial election came to an end over the weekend and preliminary figures show that 678,789 voters cast their ballot over the three-day period.
Elections Ontario says that number represents 6.14 per cent of eligible voters across the province. However, this is a significant change from the 2022 general election which saw over 1 million people (9.92 per cent of eligible voters) cast their ballot over a 10-day period.
It is also a slight decrease from the 2018 general election in which nearly 700,000 people (6.8 per cent of eligible voters) cast their ballot over a five-day advance voting period.
When asked why this election only had three days of advance voting, a spokesperson for Elections Ontario said, “Under the Election Act, fixed-date elections are required to have 10 advance polling days, while non-fixed-date elections are required to have three.”
For months, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has held a safe lead over their rivals, which seemingly prompted Premier Doug Ford to call a snap election.
Some voters who spoke with CityNews over the weekend had a mixed reaction about the shorter timeframe. “When you have a short span, then you’re not really given much chance for people to come in,” one man said. “You know, people have obligations, people have responsibilities.”
However, some experts on democracy and electoral politics say more voting days don’t necessarily guarantee a higher turnout.
“I think what’s more important is people feel like there’s a reason to get out and vote. Are the candidates giving them a compelling reason to vote? Are they telling a compelling story?” explained John Beebe, founder of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University.
“People more and more are recognizing that advanced voting is a great time to vote. Tends to be shorter lines. Doesn’t necessarily indicate if there is higher turnout … it’s just a great opportunity,” he added.
Polls officially open for the provincial election on Thursday, Feb. 27, starting at 9 a.m.
