Voter turnout

General elections

Sources: 2022 from the City Clerk's certificate, which states turnout directly. 2014 and 2018 from the City's archived results pages; those certificates carry no turnout at all. The City published no turnout figure for 2003, 2006 or 2010; see the newspaper figures below the table.

Only the 2022 ballot count is stated on a certificate; every marked figure is this site's calculation, and the marker says which. * eligible voters × turnout, both from the City's archived pages, rounded. † the total votes in that year's mayoral race, used where no electorate or turnout was published. It is a floor: ballots that skipped or spoiled the mayoral race are not in it. ‡ ballots cast ÷ turnout, both from the certificate. The 2003, 2006 and 2010 certificates carry no turnout, electorate or ballot figures, so the mayoral-race floor is all the City's records give for those years.

What the newspapers reported for the missing years. These are not City figures. 2010: on election day the Barrie Advance quoted the Clerk: "15,600 votes were cast in advance polls, of 84,145 eligible voters". That week the Advance reported "around 35,400 people voted, and 19,700 showed up on Monday" (voting day), and the Barrie Examiner "more than 35,000", both "about 40%". Against the 35,020 votes cast in the mayoral race, the Clerk's 84,145 gives 41.62%, this site's arithmetic and the figure the turnout chart draws. 2006: the Advance reported that "Just 30.4 per cent of voters cast a ballot for mayor", with an average turnout of "about 30 per cent", ranging from 40.9% in Ward 10 to 20.6% in Ward 6; it gave no electorate or ballot count. 2003: only the Examiner's later "approximately 30%".

Sources: 15,600 vote in advance polls, Barrie Advance (simcoe.com), dated October 25, 2010. Original document. Archived copy. Election day, before polls closed: "Barrie clerk Dawn McAlpine said 15,600 votes were cast in advance polls, of 84,145 eligible voters." The Clerk's electorate figure. Poll results hand delivered, Barrie Advance (Janis Ramsay), dated October 28, 2010. Original document. Archived copy. "In total, around 35,400 people voted, and 19,700 showed up on Monday. It represents 40 per cent of voters". Rounded, unofficial; the totals are not attributed to the Clerk. Emotions, turnouts run high, The Barrie Examiner (Marg. Bruineman). Original document. Archived copy. Election-week report, published on or before October 27, 2010 (the archived copy has no dateline): "More than 35,000 people of an eligible 84,145 voted, representing about 40%", against "the 30% turnout in each of Barrie's last two elections". The reporter's figures, not attributed to the Clerk. Election numbers pathetic in Barrie, Barrie Advance (John Devine), dated November 29, 2006. Original document. Archived copy. Column, 16 days after the vote: turnout "about 30 per cent"; "Turnout ranged from a high of 40.9 per cent in Ward 10 to a low of 20.6 per cent in Ward 6. Just 30.4 per cent of voters cast a ballot for mayor." Not attributed to the Clerk; no electorate or ballot count. Voting early a good idea: official, The Barrie Examiner (Bob Bruton), dated October 20, 2014. Original document. Archived copy. "In 2010, voter turnout in Barrie it was just a tick above 40% — with approximately 35,000 of 84,145 eligible voters casting ballots. In both the 2006 and 2003 city elections, turnout was approximately 30%." The reporter's figures, not attributed to the Clerk. All retrieved October 8, 2026.

By-elections

A by-election fills a single seat mid-term. Turnout is far lower, and these figures should never be read on the same line as a general election.

Source: City of Barrie archived election pages.

The 2012 Ward 8 by-election has no published final turnout. On the last voting day the Clerk told the Barrie Advance that "only 11.6 per cent of eligible voters have cast their ballot" so far, and that "Traditionally by-elections almost all have had under 20 per cent turnout", against "normal turnout about 42 per cent". The same story reported that in 2010 "42 per cent of Ward 8 voters cast a ballot".

Source: Ward 8 by-election today, Barrie Advance (Laurie Watt), dated December 3, 2012. Original document. Archived copy. Election-day story on the 2012 Ward 8 by-election. The Clerk: "only 11.6 per cent of eligible voters have cast their ballot" (in the two days of advance voting, before voting day opened); "Turnout for by-elections rings in around 20 per cent, compared with normal turnout about 42 per cent"; "Traditionally by-elections almost all have had under 20 per cent turnout". The reporter: "In 2010, 42 per cent of Ward 8 voters cast a ballot." No final turnout. Retrieved October 8, 2026.

Turnout by ward

Ward-level turnout exists for two general elections. The only wards without a figure are the two whose council seats were acclaimed — Ward 6 in 2014 and Ward 9 in 2018. No vote was held for those seats, so the City published no turnout: the chart marks them acclaimed rather than drawing a zero that never happened.

Source: City of Barrie archived results pages for 2014 and 2018. No City ward-level turnout has been located for 2006, 2010 or 2022.

Ward figures the newspapers reported. Not City figures, and on the ward boundaries of their day. 2006: the Barrie Advance reported that turnout "ranged from a high of 40.9 per cent in Ward 10 to a low of 20.6 per cent in Ward 6". 2010: the Advance later reported that "42 per cent of Ward 8 voters cast a ballot". No other ward figure for those years has been found.

Sources: Election numbers pathetic in Barrie, Barrie Advance (John Devine), dated November 29, 2006. Original document. Archived copy. Column, 16 days after the vote: turnout "about 30 per cent"; "Turnout ranged from a high of 40.9 per cent in Ward 10 to a low of 20.6 per cent in Ward 6. Just 30.4 per cent of voters cast a ballot for mayor." Not attributed to the Clerk; no electorate or ballot count. Ward 8 by-election today, Barrie Advance (Laurie Watt), dated December 3, 2012. Original document. Archived copy. Election-day story on the 2012 Ward 8 by-election. The Clerk: "only 11.6 per cent of eligible voters have cast their ballot" (in the two days of advance voting, before voting day opened); "Turnout for by-elections rings in around 20 per cent, compared with normal turnout about 42 per cent"; "Traditionally by-elections almost all have had under 20 per cent turnout". The reporter: "In 2010, 42 per cent of Ward 8 voters cast a ballot." No final turnout. All retrieved October 8, 2026.