Every percentage needs a clearly defined population.
The official record
Elections Ontario’s final statistical summary reports 45.22% turnout for the 2025 general election, compared with 44.06% in 2022. The 2025 figure uses the final list and should not be confused with preliminary election-night estimates.
Who does a number describe?
A measure of all adults, eligible electors, likely voters or people who actually voted can answer a different question. A report should state the denominator directly rather than relying on readers to infer it from context. That distinction matters in surveys as well as election results.
Our interpretation
For public-opinion research, we would normally preserve a broad population measure alongside any voting-likelihood analysis and explain how each is defined. A likely-voter model introduces assumptions that should be disclosed. Turnout totals cannot establish the demographics or motivations of non-voters by themselves. This note is retrospective analysis of official records, not a Northbound election survey.
Evidence note. This retrospective was first published on 25 October 2026. Its period label refers to the underlying event or data, not an earlier publication. Source material may include final figures published after the period covered. Northbound’s interpretation is identified separately from reported findings. Read our publication policy.