In 2022, Ontario had a regularly scheduled election and only about 43% of the voters bothered, and the Ford governemt was returned to power with a larger majority than it had garned in 2018.
Ford now has 83 seats, a vast majority over the official Opposition, the NDP, with 31, and a disappearing Liberal count of eight. Ford won this with about 18% (1.9 Million votes) of the eligible voters (around 10.7 million), and thus an even smaller percent (13%ish) of the total population (around 14.5 Million, give or take a COVID wave or two). First past the post (FPTP) electoral system is best, eh? But, despite all the editorials and pundits suggesting we should have proportional represesntation or ranked ballots or some other form of balloting and choosing the winners (perhaps the one the unicorns use to elect their omnipotent, all-powerful leader), FPTP is not going away, ever, when the winning party gets to decide if they want to shoot themselves in the face by changing the system.
And, everyone knew the rules going in.
With four years to prepare, both the NDP and Liberals failed to campaign with vigour to convince the voters that change was needed, despite the Ford government's terrible record on climate change, long term care, health, education, over-ruling the local municipal development processes from Queens Park, etc.
So, I got to wondering about the election data, as one does. What were the margins? what were the riding turnouts? WTF?
(As of first of July, Elections Ontario has not published final reports in an easy to use format, so I am still using the slightly unofficial numbers from the day after election day, June 2.)
This is an overview of the all riding results
This is a look at the 2022 and 2018 result by riding
This is a look at the 2007-14 general election results by riding
In 2025, Ford called a snap election 15 months early, to try to get a new majority for a few more years, using the excuse of Donald Trumpf Second Reich Tariff War. And the turnout was low, but he won a virtually unchanged majority and held onto power, because that is all that matters for Dough Ford.