TMU to host Toronto mayoral debate
We have the chance to make our voices heard in this coming municipal election and to make a difference in city policies that impact our daily lives. Photo credit: Jaime Lopes via Unsplash
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), United Way Greater Toronto (UWGT) and The Toronto Star will co-host a debate for mayoral candidates at TMU’s Ted Rogers School of Management on the evening of May 31. The event, Our Future, Our Vote: A Toronto for All, which will be live streamed, will bring together members of the public from across Toronto, community leaders and students.
“It is crucial that young people take part in the electoral process, as students are impacted significantly by municipal priorities that can be directly influenced by their participation,” says Mohamed Lachemi, president, Toronto Metropolitan University. “Higher education fosters critical thinking, but without civic engagement, we miss the opportunity to create a more responsive democracy shaped by the values and voices of our young people.”
The mayoral debate will allow voters to hear candidates’ approaches to Toronto’s most pressing issues, helping voters make an informed decision on election day.
Have your say! Students can also help to inform questions posed to candidates on the pressing issues that affect them. To have your say, fill out the survey and enter for a chance to receive a free ticket to attend the event.
Students have the power to shape the future of Toronto in this municipal election. To help align with a candidate, watch the upcoming mayoral debate co-hosted by TMU on May 31st and decide who gets your vote!
The issues that matter to you
“Whatever the issue you care about, the municipal elections are impacting you,” says John Beebe, senior advisor at the TMU Democratic Engagement Exchange (external link) , which works to reduce barriers to participation in our democracy.
Students, like the general public, have many issues they care about. If your top issue is transit challenges, Beebe explains that municipalities take the lead on that. If your issue is climate change, “municipalities are doing some of the most innovative work of any level of government on that issue.” If your issue is job prospects, he says that municipalities are critical in supporting the creation of meaningful work, and play a major role in regulating and passing policies related to issues like the gig economy.
From health care and urban planning, to poverty and policing, municipalities provide the various services that impact our lives on a daily basis.
A student playbook on the municipal elections
Student volunteers are asking TMU students their top election priorities and reminding them to vote for the city’s next mayor. Outreach and engagement efforts are being organized by the Democratic Engagement Exchange at TMU.
Voting is super easy. That’s what Beebe wants students to know so they can feel at ease about flexing their civic muscle.
“You don’t have to be registered, you just have to have something that proves your current address, like a piece of mail you got from the bank, it’s that easy,” he says.
Vote for Toronto’s next mayor! The 2023 Toronto mayoral by-election (external link) takes place on Monday, June 26, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Advance voting days are from June 8 to 13.
You can also apply to Vote by Mail (external link) until May 26 at 4:30 p.m.
You can use MyVote (external link) to confirm your voter information, update your voter information, add your name to the voters' list and download your voter information card to your mobile device.
Voice your choice
With over 70 candidates on the ballot, the hardest part, by far, says Beebe, is deciding who to vote for, and that’s true not just of students but for all voters.
The Toronto Star (external link) is profiling all the major candidates and will be hosting Vote Compass that allows you to share which issues are important to you and suggests candidates that align with your views. Another great resource is The Local (external link) , which features a Toronto Candidate Tracker (external link) tool that outlines where candidates stand on major issues.
Do some research and talk to your peers, family members and colleagues about the election to help get a sense of the candidates and their platforms.
It doesn't have to be complicated. Some students can be deterred from voting if they feel they aren’t an expert. Just look for platforms on the issues that are important to you.
Beebe also encourages students to check out candidate debates like the Our Future, Our Vote: A Toronto for All debate taking place on campus at the end of May from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Or, check out all candidate forums in your community, many of which are online and easy to attend.
“Try to go in person, which is my favorite way to do it, and get a chance to talk to other engaged citizens and the candidates themselves,” says Beebe.
Students could also talk to family and friends, and other trusted sources who may follow the elections more closely and be more familiar with the candidates.
Call Toronto your second home?: If you are living in residence or off-campus, and also have a primary address in another city, you are still eligible to vote in Toronto’s municipal by-election.
Through the municipal elections you have a chance to vote for representation on the issues and services that matter to you. Photo credit Tara Winstead via Pexels
The time is now for active citizenship
Toronto municipal elections have generally seen low voter turnout with 54.7 per cent of eligible voters casting ballots in 2014, 40.9 per cent of electors voting in 2018 and 29.7 per cent in 2022, hitting a record low (external link) . This year brings a new opportunity for democratic engagement and civic participation.
Make a commitment to vote this month. Check out this ‘Voting in Toronto is Easy’ one sheet (external link) from the Democratic Engagement Exchange.
Voting gives you the power to help shape key decisions that will impact your quality of life. Broader participation in democracy can make a difference on issues like systemic inequities and increase public confidence in our leaders and government institutions, as well as combat feelings of apathy towards our political systems.
Low voter turnouts means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters that may not reflect the needs and priorities of underrepresented and less affluent groups, including students. See you at the polls!