Why voting matters

The month of June is a big celebratory month with Pride and commemoration of Indigenous history; this year in Toronto, it is also a month of exercising our rights of suffrage.

The upcoming mayoral by-election is one of the most salient elections—and your democratic participation is necessary. By voting, we have the power to craft the city’s future.

Important dates:

Advance vote days: June 8 to 13 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Election Day: June 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voting for the municipal election is essential to increase the declining lower voter turnout, and voting is a right and responsibility as a citizen of this city.

One of the most heated topics in the current discourse is the issue of public transportation.

Many people agree that public transportation is a human right, yet this fundamental human right has been neglected in the city. Think about getting stuck in traffic for hours when these hours could be dedicated to leisure. Well, this ordeal can be part of Torontonians’ past.

You can have a say on the status of our city’s public transportation by voting. For that, we must elect a mayor who will really invest in mass public transportation — including establishing more bike lanes, making the city walkable, and turning the streets more accessible for the people, not cars. In other words, make public transportation more environmentally friendly.

In fact, transportation in Canada emits 27% of greenhouse gas, and as we live in the most crowded city, we can impact these statistics just by voting this June 26.

Toronto is also the 3rd most congested city in North America. This trend can be changed if we encourage more people to take public transportation. However, this can only happen if the newly-elected mayor prioritizes this issue by, for example, allocating more funds to the sector and pledging to reverse the recent TTC service cuts. At the same time, different modes of transportation should be explored and implemented throughout the city to guarantee a comfortable commute for everyone. The more alternatives to driving a car, the better.

Rather than cuts to TTC services and the budget, the newly-elected mayor must reduce the cost of fares. Admittedly, the TTC fare is so high that some lower income groups struggle to cope in the middle of uncontrolled, skyrocketing inflation that is still stressing them. The fare is admittedly another burden to people’s pockets.

Moreover, no one can deny that living in Toronto is a luxury. Nowadays, Toronto is a city of renters. The latest census indicates that 46% of the population in Toronto are renters. Some renters—likely, the majority—are not even voters. One of the ways you can represent this group of people is by voting.

Everyone deserves a place to call home, and voting in this upcoming mayoral by-election is a means to push for a reduction on the cost of rent.

Some of the mayoral candidates have promised that once they are elected to the most-coveted post, they will change the landscape of housing and develop affordable housing.

Albeit a promising and insightful platform, we must demand the candidates build housing centred on community, sustainability, and affordability, not profit and pollution. More green spaces are needed to ignite the spirit of collectivism and community among the diverse population of the city.

In addition to having roofs over their heads, Torontonians must secure food on their tables as well. A vote on June 26 should be a vote for food security and self-sustaining, community-led, and owned community gardens.

Food insecurity is endemic in our city; in fact, some Toronto mayoral candidates attended a debate to address and tackle this crisis and offered solutions to this pressing issue.

Lastly, a prosperous and liveable city thrives on its culture, recreational, and social life.

This June 26, we must vote for a mayor who will invest in Canadian arts, culture, music, literature, and the appreciation of the city’s history. In this way, we can tell the world that Toronto has its remarkable identity and showcase our skillful and ingenious writers, musicians, artists, and performers. Indigenous culture must likewise be prioritized and heavily promoted by Indigenizing the city.

Moreover, keep our public libraries open and condemn ongoing cuts to the library service and programs.

We should also not forget that our vote is a vote for the environment. We must elect a mayor who is committed to the environment and the issues surrounding it. The environment should be one of the top priorities since environmental actions must start at the local level. You can learn more about the top candidate’s commitments to environmental topics by reading reviews created by the Toronto Environmental Alliance.

Call to action

Voting this June 26 allows us to defy the status quo and push for changes. We either choose the path to a prosperous city or allow apathy to spread. No number of individual actions can triumph over collective actions based on shared goals and ambitions. Apathy is no longer an option.

Every Toronto voter has a part and role to play. We should not waste this right that the people have fought ferociously for just for us to have the opportunity to participate in this imperative democratic process.

A great reminder that before we cast our votes, we must consider that voting gives us the voice to speak on behalf of those who came before us, generations to come, and Mother Earth.

We must vote wisely by discerning the background and the platforms of the mayoral candidates.

Our collective actions from our individual votes will help us lead to a brighter future.

After June 26, we must continue to advocate for a humanely liveable city, one of the safest cities in the world, and most importantly, an environmentally-friendly home.