Municipal elections in Canada don’t look much like those held at the federal and provincial levels. A key difference is a significant discrepancy in voter turnout, but relatively little is known about why far fewer people vote in city elections.

Voters show less interest in local government, seeing it as less influential than other levels, yet they believe their views matter more to local politicians. Political Engagement in Canadian City Elections explores this apparent contradiction by asking who participates in politics, how they go about it, and why. Drawing from the Canadian Municipal Election Study, a novel survey of electors in eight large cities across the country in 2017 and 2018, contributors consider factors ranging from the universal – such as the demographic profile of voters or how economic conditions affect them – to the specific – for example, participation in school board and council elections.

There are more municipal elections than any other kind in Canada. The discoveries in Political Engagement in Canadian City Elections collectively represent a major leap forward in our understanding of voter activity at the community and municipal level.

R. Michael McGregor is an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University.

R. Michael McGregor's profile page

Laura B. Stephenson is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario.

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“Commentators in many spheres lament the poor level of public participation in local government. This flagship book holds the key to explain, and possibly remedy, the problem.” David Siegel, co-editor of The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words

“This volume offers one of the best studies of municipal political behaviour in a very long time. Its objectives and arguments are compelling – until now, we have known little about voter engagement at the municipal level, even though local government touches our daily lives more than other levels of government.” Anna Esselment, co-editor of Permanent Campaigning in Canada