Apathy, lack of engagement likely factors in Winnipeg's 37% election turnout, Winnipeggers say

Scott Gillingham and his supporters celebrated their victory in Winnipeg's civic election on Wednesday night, but the mayor-elect will take office with the support of the smallest share of the electorate in recent memory.

Just 37 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot, and of those, only 27 per cent voted for Gillingham. That means he received the support of only about 10 per cent of Winnipeg's electorate.

"It's disappointing, but I think that it's hard to get the younger generation engaged, so I don't know if there are ways that we can try to get more people out to vote," said Mandi Siddiqui, who voted in the election.

A lack of engagement played a role for some who decided not to vote.

"I struggle with nihilism," Davina Rose said, laughing.

Rose, who lives with her brothers and father, said nobody in her household voted.

"You see so much political development, but not much changing," she said. "Don't get me wrong, I see small changes, I see small contributions, and they all do count — but there needs to be some big ones."

Marvin Tanasychuk said he regularly votes in provincial and federal elections, but this year's municipal election just didn't interest him.

"I think it's sad. I am part of that problem, not voting," Tanasychuk said.

"I travel, I go to Asia, to do volunteer work in Nepal … and a lot of countries around the world don't have the right to vote. So I think as Canadians we should vote, because it's our civic duty, and it's democracy in action."

As for this year's civic election, "perhaps it's apathy," he said.

WATCH | Winnipeggers talk about why they did, or did not, vote:

The perception that one candidate may have had a lock on the mayoral race might have also deterred voters, said University of Manitoba political professor Christopher Adams.

Opinion polls consistently showed Glen Murray with a commanding lead over Gillingham.