Millions don't vote in Ontario elections. Here's how some are tackling low turnout

David Erlandgoes to the polls on election day, but doesn'tgo behind the screen to cast a ballot. When poll workers hand him a ballot, he hands it right back, choosing to declinehis vote.

It's a valid option in Ontario elections (22,684 voters did itin 2018), though he hasoften confused poll workers, having to explain exactly what he's doing.It's his way of airing frustrations with our electoral system.

"I realized that for as long as I continued to use our existing electoral system to cast my vote, I was giving that system my tacit approval," said Erland, who lives in Port Hope,100 kilometres east of Toronto.

• Didn't vote in the last Ontario election? Tell us why

Erland callshimself a "wannabe" voter. He insists no issue or policy promise would sway him to cast a vote for a party, until he sees a change to our electoral system.He feels his votedoesn't matter and the system causesalack of representation. It's just one of the reasons people don't cast a ballot, being highlighted ahead of the province'sJune 2 election.

More than 10.2 millionOntarians were eligible to vote in the last election, in 2018, but just56.67 per cent did (around 5.8 million voters). The highest turnout wascoincidentally inErland's own electoral district,NorthumberlandPeterborough South, at64.6 per cent.

"It's always a tough one. You know, why doesn't somebody vote? Usually people who don't vote also don't answer surveys," jokesLydia Miljan, professor of political science at the University of Windsor.

The Windsor West electoral district hadthe absolute lowest turnout provincially in 2018, at 43.3 per cent.Neighbouring electoral districtWindsorTecumseh also ranks among Ontario's lowest, as doelectoral districts in Brampton, Mississauga, northwest pockets of Toronto (Humber RiverBlack Creek, York SouthWeston) and northern Ontario(Kiiwetinoong, Timmins).

Miljanpoints to factors like lower incomes, younger populations andimmigrant populations, which she says are all associated with lower voter turnout.

CBC put out a call to ask people why theydon't vote. Recurring answersincluded not feelinginformed, lacking time, being too young, out of the country on election day, notliking the candidates or even not liking politics in general (Miljan thinks its a fair critique she doesn't like sports!)

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Miljan also saidturnout depends on if people are excited by candidates or campaignsor if it's a change election, like Ontario saw in 2018, when voters oustedKathleen Wynne's Liberals resulting in the highest turnout in almost two decades.

Miljan's been bored by the 2022 campaign so far and doesn't anticipate change, so expects a lower voter turnout this time.

More advanced polling

Elections Ontario hopes to tackle that. It's added more advanced polling days, now totalling 10, up from five during the last election. It's been visiting campuses to encourage students to voteand highlightsits new app and online application to vote by mail.

The organization is also doingoutreach with more than 2,500 community organizations around the province, at places like cultural centres, friendship centres, libraries and places of worship. The hope is to specificallytarget new Canadians and first-time voters.

"Elections Ontario remains committed to removing barriers to voting for all Ontarians and ensuring that anyone who wants to vote can do so," Elections Ontariowrote in an email.

Some individuals have taken it upon themselves topromotevoting.

Tania Cameron is trying to boost voter turnout amongFirst Nations. She livesjust outside Kenora, in northwestern Ontario, bordering the electoral district of Kiiwetinoong, which has amajority Indigenous population. The district saw the second lowest voter turnout provinciallyin 2018, at 45.8 per cent.

So Cameron, who is fromNiisaachewan Anishinaabe Nationnorth of Kenora, has been trying to engage voters from First Nations,making sure people know how to vote andregister, and explaining provincial issues that matter.

She's put out a plea to chiefs and heads of Indigenous organizations to not host meetings on election day, which could take voters away from communities and not allow them to vote.

Cameron also wants to ensurevoting problems that remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario faced during last fall's federal election don't happen again. There were issues around voter cards and an absence of polling stations in some fly-in communities. Elections Canada apologized in November.

Elections Ontariosays it has Indigenous consultants visiting communities right now, talking about registration tools and working with chiefs and band councils.

Addressing the First Nations vote

Cameron'swork can be complicated.

"There are a lot of people that say that this is not my government. This is not my system. And I hear them, it isn't. It's a government system that was imposed on First Nations people," she said. "You're not accepting that you'repart of this colonial system. However, you are picking who sits across from you at the negotiations table."

She wants First Nations voters to think about who may be the better treaty partner and who is making the most inroads to reach reconciliation.

LISTEN | Ontario Morning examines voting turnout and where it differs in the province:

"I see that First Nations people in these northern ridings aren't using their political muscle," she said.

Cameron citedthe 2015 federal election, when on-reserve voter turnout skyrocketed, something she would like to see repeated.

"I am a strong advocate for using your right to vote," she said. "I just love politics. I truly love politics."