Advanced polling turnout bodes well

Advance polling in Haliburton County is amping up optimism for increased voter turnout overall in the 2026 Municipal Election.As of today, advance polling in Algonquin Highlands is at 17 per cent, while Minden Hills is 15 per cent, Dysart et al is at 17 per cent and Highlands East is at 12.9 per cent. Canoe FM spoke with Lindsay Jones, Executive Director of the Associations of Municipalities of Ontario earlier today.She said so far, voter turnout is trending upwards in most regions across the province, with Toronto having the largest number of early voters since its 1998 amalgamation. She is pleased that the AMO's Healthy Democracy Project, which has worked particularly hard in Haliburton County to engage residents in local government, seems to have had the desired results.Jones says she's gratified to see growing diversity in candidates. For example, the number of female candidates have increased compared to 2022 with 2,103 or 32 per cent of females running, compared to 1,913 in the last municipal election. Online voting seems to be winning the favor of voters as well, Jones says, with 66 per cent of municipal governments using internet voting, up 52 per cent from 2022.For those elected, AMO is launching Local Leadership Foundations, a new practical learning program designed to help new and returning municipal elected officials build the knowledge and skills needed to begin the 2026–2030 term effectively. The program covers topics including governance, decision-making, municipal finance, civility and integrity, community engagement and leadership.