A new report by Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer says opinion polls can influence election results and they should be banned two weeks in advance of election day.
The report looks at lessons learned from Ontario’s 2022 election, which had a record low turnout of 44 percent. “Many lost interest in the election due to early reports of one-sided results,” said the report, which was released March 31.
An average of 2.5 opinion polls per day were published in the two weeks leading up to the June 2 election, for a total of 36.
“Political polls have the potential to influence election results by either motivating or demotivating electors,” the report says, making a call for legislative change to prohibit their publication so close to election day….