The provincial byelection is just under two weeks away in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, and some folks in the area say they weren’t even aware there was a vote scheduled for Sept. 3.
Lucas Cook, 21, shared with CBC Hamilton on Wednesday while in downtown Stoney Creek that he had noticed some political signs but didn’t know much else about it.
Another resident, Anthony Samul, 37, mentioned it was news to him as well. “I haven’t been paying much attention to it,” he stated.
They weren’t alone. CBC Hamilton talked to several others throughout the riding this week who expressed they had no idea the byelection was coming up.
This lack of awareness is a common issue during byelections, according to experts, where voter turnout usually falls short compared to general elections.
Six candidates have declared their intention to run since the deadline closed on Thursday-all competing for the vacant seat after Progressive Conservative MPP Neil Lumsden stepped down on Aug. 4.
This byelection coincides with two others happening on the same day in Toronto ridings: Scarborough Southwest and York-Simcoe.
Elections Ontario’s map of the riding Hamilton East-Stoney Creek. (Elections Ontario)
John Beebe, founder and director of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, emphasizes that increasing voter turnout for a byelection hinges on people feeling like their voices matter and that their participation can lead to change.
“People aren’t apathetic. They’re just feeling disconnected and nobody talks to them,” Beebe noted.
His work with young voters has shown him that simply encouraging them to participate can make a significant impact.
During the 2022 Ontario provincial election, his organization collaborated with Elections Ontario by deploying teams of young people across campuses statewide.
Students were curious about voting and eager to learn how they could get involved.
“When we talk to people and we ask them what are the issues that you care about, they engage,” he added.
Byelections attract ‘motivated voters’
Historically, byelections see far fewer participants than general elections do.
Elections Ontario statistics showed a mere 21 percent voter turnout for the 2023 provincial byelection in Hamilton Centre.
Diving back into history, during the 2025 provincial election in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, turnout stood at 43.8 percent out of a total of 89,584 eligible voters according to Elections Ontario.
Stefan Dolgert, an associate professor of political science at Brock University, points out that lower turnout often stems from individuals being less likely to vote unless there’s a narrative that resonates with their own lives.
Dolgert argues people today are less inclined towards voting out of “civic duty” alone; instead it often takes pressing issues or “hot button stuff” to capture their interest.
“It’s [the] big-picture stuff that tends to drive people to the polls because I think we tend to be a little bit more disconnected from our communities and from politics.”
Source link
