Schedule & Speakers

©Elections Ontario

September 21, 2017: An Interactive Evening with Greg Essensa, Ontario's Chief Electoral Officer

The 2014 provincial election in Ontario saw voter turnout rise for the first time in almost 25 years with 52.1 % going to the polls.  This is still the second-lowest overall turnout the province has ever had, just a slight increase from the 2011 election that drew 48 % of eligible voters to the polls.

With over 30 years of municipal, provincial and international election experience, Greg Essensa began his career as a student worker in the City of Toronto’s election warehouse.  He worked his way up to
Director of Elections and Registry Services for the City of Toronto, and then was appointed Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer in June 2008.

Mr. Essensa will share his thoughts on modernizing elections, and show that voting is more essential in today’s world than ever.  He will speak about his views on voter turnout and how we can get more young people to participate in the democratic process, and why he is a proponent of incorporating technology into the election and voting process.