ONTARIO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS - VOTING TRENDS AND DETERMINANTS OF ELECTORAL SUCCESS IN A CANADIAN PROVINCE

This article examines voting trends in recent Ontario elections and th e impact of incumbency, gender, campaign expenditures and the number o f candidates per seat on the electoral success of a candidate. Voter t urnout is found to be consistently lower in larger cities. The number of females holding office has increased over time, with large cities h aving the highest proportion of females in office. As candidates, male s and females have similar success rates. Incumbency provides a huge a dvantage, especially in large cities. The level of campaign spending a lso has a significant effect as does the number of candidates contesti ng a seat.