Municipal nominations are open, and so is your chance to make a difference

Dan Rolph - Exeter Examiner Editor

By Dan Rolph

With about five months to go Ontario’s 2026 municipal elections, nominations are now open for candidates looking to run to represent their communities across the province.

As the political races start to materialize locally, it is the perfect time to reflect on the importance of paying attention to what is happening in our community.

For many people, it is easy to get caught up in the drama of federal politics. We are constantly bombarded with national coverage that follows every word from the federal government, the official opposition and the countless commentators chiming in on the decisions made on the national and international stages.

The attention federal politics receives appears to be reflected in voter turnout trends. Across Canada, turnout in federal elections has consistently been higher than in provincial and municipal elections.

The 2025 federal election had a national voter turnout of 69.5 per cent. In Huron-Bruce, over 76 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot that year, surpassing the national average.

Meanwhile, South Huron saw a voter turnout of about 44.5 per cent in the 2022 municipal election, meaning the majority of those living in the community didn’t participate. In 2018, turnout was just over 54 per cent, demonstrating a drop of about 10 points in four years.

The downward trend in participation levels on the local level is one that has concerned me for many years, but it is one that is far from unique.

In London, voter turnout was 25.5 per cent in the 2022 municipal election, dropping nearly 15 per cent in four years. For Toronto, just over 29 per cent of voters cast a ballot that year.

For democracy to function it requires the participation of the people. It needs a population of citizens who are engaged, informed and willing to form opinions about the things that impact them and those around them.

The federal government does not decide what roads get repaired or replaced. It does not manage the systems that ensure water can be brought to your property. It does not approve the developments that expand neighbourhoods or the recreational projects and programs that enrich them. It does not maintain your local parks, plow your snow-covered streets or maintain the fire department that is there in tragic times.

Those are the vital things that are a part of everyday life, and they all fall into the purview of your municipality.

The good news is there is no level of government more accessible than the municipal one.

For some, staying engaged is as simple as following local news and voting on election day. For others, it means taking a more active role in shaping the community by running for council.

Whatever participation in municipal politics looks like for you, I believe we owe it to ourselves and to our neighbours to pay attention and to remain engaged.

If we are not willing to play an active part in improving our community, who will?