They're heading down the home stretch.
The countdown is on until the final results from the 2025 provincial election are officially tallied, and while which parties will come out on top in each riding, and by how much, remains to be seen, some voters admit they cast their ballots begrudgingly.
“It feels wasteful and self-serving to call an election a year early just to bank on the public feeling positive about a party after receiving $200,” said Barrie resident Jennifer Evans.
Evans, who lives in the Barrie-Innisfil riding, said she had hoped all candidates would have focused more on things like improving health care — such as addressing the provincewide family doctor shortage, hallway medicine in local hospitals and reducing emergency room wait times — as well supporting the education sector with more funding.
“Instead, the party in power (Progressive Conservatives) seemed more focused on lowering beer prices and making alcohol more readily available," she added. "It seems like an odd priority to have, but I suppose it’s served them well as a bait and switch so that voters don’t really know what the other hand is doing.”
Evans admitted that it hasn’t felt like any of the candidates in her riding — which includes the Green Party's Stephen Cieselski, the New Democratic Party's Andrew Harrigan, Progressive Conservative incumbent Andrea Khanjin, the Liberal Party's Dane Lee, New Blue's Sam Mangiapane and the Ontario Moderate Party's Anna Yuryeva — had been as engaged as they should have been leading up to the election.
Between not appearing at various public events, a lack of lawn signs around the community or knocks at the door, it’s not surprising that so many voters are also not feeling particularly enthusiastic about the election, she added.
“I get that it’s been a very short sprint to the finish line, but they still should have done a much better job of showing up and proving why they deserved the job," said Evans. "Unfortunately, I think it simply boils down to the 'least worst option,' and even that is up for debate.
"I appreciate being able to exercise my right to vote, but given the options, it just feels pointless,” she added.
The “snap election,” called by Premier Doug Ford on Jan. 28, “seems like a bit of a cluster,” said Springwater resident Whitney Campbell, who headed to her local polling station early Thursday morning.
“People are going to be voting emotionally, not logically, especially if they’re voting for blue (the PCs) thinking that he will stand up to Trump better than a female can, which is something I have heard from other people,” Campbell said.
This election, Campbell said she isn’t convinced anything will change in the Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte (BSOM) riding, which has been represented by PC incumbent Doug Downey since 2018.
“It seems that this riding has always been blue and therefore will always be blue unless people get out and vote,” she said.
BSOM's slate of candidates also include New Blue's Alex Della Ventura, the Greens' Tim Grant, the NDP's Tracey Lapham, Libertarian Erin Patterson and the Liberals' Rose Zacharias.
Polls are open until 9 p.m. Thursday.