By Staff
May 15th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette has assigned a reporter to learning how people in Burlington are handling the election for the next provincial government.
The assignment is to approach people and ask four questions:
Q1 Do you know there is going to be an election in June?
Q2 Do you know anything about the issues?
Q3 Are you going to vote? (If not – why note)
Q4 Would you like to say who you will vote for?
We captured the following additional data:
Male or female
Under 40 – over 40
Do they live in Burlington?
The interviews took place at GO stations, outside supermarkets, outside LCBO retail outlets and in Spencer Smith Park.
There is nothing statistically valid about the data other than that the interviews took place. We are just collecting data that reflects what people in Burlington are thinking.
The Gazette will be doing these interviews throughout the election.
The material from this point forward is the raw data we are working with.
We expect to do a new survey of about 50 people every second day up to the day before the election.
Raw data
We did a test run in Mississauga, the community the reporter lives in.
Then we did a survey at the Appleby GO station on May 6th; another at the Aldershot GO station on May 13th and another at Spencer Smith Park on a sunny May 14th Saturday afternoon.
The detail for each is set out below in chronological order with the most recent first.
The results of the May 14th interviews at Spencer Smith Park
32 people were interviewed
All were under 40
Male: 17
Female: 15
Question 1: Do you know there’s going to be an election in June?
Yes: 27
No: 5
Question 2: Do you know anything about the issues?
Yes: 20
Not aware of any issues: 11
Doesn’t care: 1
Question 3: Are you going to vote?
Yes: 24
No: 3 (not from Burlington )
Undecided: 5
Question 4: Would you like to say who you will vote for (For those who decided they are going to vote)?
PC: 5
Liberal: 2
NDP: 2
Green: 1
Undecided: 11
Would like to keep it private: 1
Cannot tell: 2
The results of the May 13th interviews at the Aldershot GO Station
30 people were interviewed
17 of them were under the age of 40
Male: 14
Female: 16
Question 1: How do you feel about the elections?
Most common answers: They’re important, I’m optimistic, gives the chance for people to express their voice,
Question 2: What do you think about the elections?
Most common answers: Everyone in Ontario should vote, we need a new leader, Doug Ford should no longer be the Premier
Question 3: Should Doug Ford be re-elected as Premier?
Yes: 4 (He’s done a good job as Premier, has good qualities as a leader)
No: 19 (Poor way he handled the pandemic, cut off OSAP loans, etc.)
Didn’t answer: 7 (Not sure, I don’t know about Doug Ford, depends on what he plans to do he if remains as Premier, etc.)
Question 4: Will you be voting?
Yes: 24
No: 4
Hasn’t made up his/her mind: 2
Question 5: Who will you be voting (For those who have decided to vote)?
PC: 5
Liberal: 9
NDP: 3
Undecided: 7
The results of the May 6 interviews at the Appleby GO station
20 people were interviewed
Seven of them were under the age of 40
Male: 9
Female: 11
Question 1: Did you know that the provincial election started on Wednesday?
Yes: 9
No: 7
Didn’t answer: 4 (because of their job)
Question 2: Does this election matter to you?
Yes: 11
No: 4
Didn’t answer: 5 (because of their job, doesn’t care about the elections)
Question 3: Which offer do you find more appealing?
Liberal: 7
NDP: 6
Didn’t answer: 7 (because of their job, doesn’t care about the elections, this election doesn’t matter to her)
Question 4: Will you vote on June 2nd?
Yes: 10
No: 5 (because he/she is not a Canadian citizen)
Didn’t answer: 5 (because of their job, doesn’t care about the elections
Question 5: May I ask who you will vote for (For those who have decided they are going to vote)?
PC: 1
Liberal: 5
NDP: 4
- Middle-aged woman
Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.
This election does matter to her because of her residency.
Thinks the NDP’s dental plan is more appealing.
She is not going to vote because she’s not from Canada.
- Senior, woman,
She did know the election started on Wednesday.
This election does matter to her.
Prefers the buck-a-day transit offer.
She is going to put her vote on the Liberal.
She did seem very concerned when I was talking to her.
- 40s, woman,
She did know the election started on Wednesday.
This election does matter to her.
Thinks the liberal offer is more appealing.
She is going to put her vote on the Liberal.
- Early 30s, woman,
She did know the election started on Wednesday.
This election does matter to her because it’s her right to vote for a good leader.
Prefers the buck-a-day transit offer.
She is going to put her vote on the liberal.
- Late 30s, woman,
She didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.
The election doesn’t matter to her because she’s new in the country and doesn’t have voting rights.
- Late 40s, Women, white, security guard
She didn’t answer because she can’t make her opinions public due to her job.
- 50s, Man, Asian, security guard
He can’t make his opinions public due to his job.
- 50s, Man, White, security guard
He can’t make his opinion public due to his work.
- Senior (about 65 years old), Man,
Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.
Not interested in the provincial elections.
- Woman, Early 20s
Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.
This election doesn’t matter to her because she is non-Canadian and doesn’t have voting rights.
Finds the NDP’s dental plan more appealing.
If she could vote, she would vote for NDP.
- Woman, early 30s
Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.
This election doesn’t matter to her because she’s not from here.
- Man, early 30s
Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.
This election doesn’t matter to his because he is not a Canadian citizen.
Finds the Liberal’s offer more appealing because he thinks the buck-a-day transit fares can be more beneficial to him.
If he could vote, he would vote for Conservative.
Was a good person to talk to, went really in-depth in what he was saying, despite being non-Canadian.
- Man, 40s, works at McDonalds
Can’t make his opinion public because he is an employee.
- Senior, man,
He did know the election started on Wednesday.
This election does matter to him.
Says it’s up to us residents to vote who we want as our leader.
Likes the NDP’s dental plan more appealing because of their promise to provide low-cost dental care for low income families.
He is going to put his vote on NDP, doesn’t want Doug Ford.
Has been invested into politics for more than 40 years.
Was a great person to talk to. Seems like he has a lot of political knowledge.
- Woman, early 20s,
He did know the election started on Wednesday.
This election does matter to him because she says that our vote matters.
She likes the buck-a-day offer because she takes the bus every day to go to work.
She is going to put her vote on the Liberal.
- Man, 50s,
He did know the election started on Wednesday.
This election does matter to him because he lost his job as a mechanical engineer due to the pandemic.
For the last couple of years, he’s been struggling to pay for the house monthly.
Was really sad to hear about his story.
He likes the NDP’s dental plan more than the Liberal’s offer.
He is going to vote for the NDP.
- Woman, Late 30’s,
She did know the election started on Wednesday.
This election does matter to her because she says she has a right to vote.
Prefers the NDP’s offer because her husband doesn’t have insurance for dental. She also says that dental is so expensive in Canada. She has to pay $750 a year alone just for her husband’s dental care.
She is going to put her vote on the NDP.
- Man, 40s,
He wasn’t aware that the election started on Wednesday.
But, he says this election does matter to him because it matters who we vote for.
He likes the liberal’s offer more because he uses the GO train to go to a lot of Blue jays games. He’s been a big Blue Jays fan for more than 20 years.
He is going to put his vote on the Liberal.
- Senior, man,
He did know the election started on Wednesday.
He says this election does matter to him because he lives in the province of Ontario.
He prefers the NDP’s dental plan because his company doesn’t have enough insurance for him.
He is going to put his vote on the NDP.
- Woman, 40s,
She did know the election started on Wednesday.
She says this election does matter to her because we want the right people.
Transit plan is more appealing to her.
She is going to put her vote on Doug Ford.
Seems that she likes to talk a lot about the upcoming elections.
Get the bio in here
There are debates (without the PC candidate) to help you make up your mind. Do you want a highway that ploughs over farmland and creates more pollution, do you agree with freezing nurses salaries, do you like the potential for more online learning, do you like huge skyscrapers that mask as affordable housing? There is much to consider if you vote to keep the status quo.
Anyone wondering where to go to vote can use the Elections Ontario to find out that you can’t find out. It just responds with the news that you are in Burlington.
Interesting–I just got my voters’ card in the mail yesterday and it explained in detail when and where to vote.
A more pertinent opening question to ask the individual is
whether they are a Canadian Citizen, and legally eligible to vote?
If I’m in England and asked who should be the Sheriff of Nottingham?, I’m really not informed enough to offer a useful opinion.
Not George for sure. Maybe Robin Locksley?