Voice the Vote Launches Putting 15 Organizers and 50 Community Grants on the Ground to Reverse Record-Low Municipal Voter Turnout

TORONTO, July 28, 2026 /CNW/ -- Fewer than one in three eligible voters cast a ballot in Ontario's last municipal election. Today, United Way Greater Toronto and the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University launched Voice the Vote, a non-partisan, community-led campaign working to change that ahead of the October 26 municipal election.

The campaign is putting resources directly into neighbourhoods across Peel, Toronto and York Region, including:

voicethevote.ca

• A field team of 15 local organizers who, alongside trusted community organizations, will co-organize locally-rooted events that encourage residents to participate in local democracy.
• A civic microgrant program funding up to 50 creative, community-led engagement projects.
• A training series, and free print and digital resources that equip community organizations to run their own non-partisan election outreach.

Voice the Vote has already met with hundreds of residents and trusted community organizations across the GTA to understand and identify barriers to participating in municipal elections. The conversations revealed that while residents care deeply about issues such as housing affordability and public transit, many are unsure about the role of municipal governments, who makes those decisions and how their voice can shape the policies that impact their daily lives.

"Local democracy is strongest when people have meaningful opportunities to engage on the issues that they care about, from housing to transit to safety and belonging. Communities already have the insight and leadership to shape their own future," said Lori Galway, Director of Public Policy and Public Affairs, United Way Greater Toronto and Co-Creator and Founding Partner of Voice the Vote.

"At a moment when democracy is facing real threats around the world, Voice the Vote strengthens democracy in our communities not simply by telling people to vote, but by listening and engaging our communities in conversations about issues that matter to them," said John Beebe, Founder and Director of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Co-Creator and Founding Partner of Voice the Vote.

"Through the Democratic Engagement Exchange, TMU brings together academic expertise, applied research and community partnerships to strengthen democratic participation," said Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice-Chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University. "Voice the Vote extends this work across Peel, Toronto and York Region, helping residents participate in the decisions that shape their communities and everyday lives."

Throughout the campaign, Voice the Vote will document and highlight the issues facing residents' priorities, bringing greater visibility to lived experiences and local issues shaping communities.

For more information about Voice the Vote, click here.

To access a media kit, click here.

About United Way Greater Toronto: As the largest non-government funder of community services in the GTA, United Way Greater Toronto reinforces a crucial community safety net to support people living in poverty. United Way's network of agencies and initiatives in neighbourhoods across Peel, Toronto and York Region works to ensure that everyone has access to the programs and services they need to thrive. Mobilizing community support, United Way's work is rooted in ground-breaking research, strategic leadership, local advocacy and cross-sectoral partnerships committed to building a more equitable region and lasting solutions to the GTA's greatest challenges.

About Voice the Vote: Voice the Vote is a non-partisan, community-led initiative helping residents across Peel, Toronto and York Region connect the issues they care about most to the decisions that shape their communities. A partnership between United Way Greater Toronto and the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, Voice the Vote works alongside trusted community organizations and local leaders to provide training, resources, micro-grants and grassroots outreach that build the knowledge, confidence and relationships people need to have a voice ahead of the 2026 Ontario municipal election. voicethevote.ca

About The Democratic Engagement Exchange: The Democratic Engagement Exchange (The Exchange) is an initiative of the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Exchange drives civic engagement and fosters a vibrant and inclusive democracy by building partnerships with academic institutions, community organizations and government agencies to create tools and champion policies and programs that foster a more inclusive democracy. The Exchange builds "on-ramps" to political participation for community members who have faced marginalization and are too often excluded from democratic discourse. engagedemocracy.ca

SOURCE United Way Greater Toronto

Media contact: Meetu Madahar, Manager, Communications, United Way Greater Toronto, [email protected] | 416.817.4668