Simcoe County prepares to hit voting booth

BARRIE, ONT. -

Central Ontario residents will hit the voting booth on Monday to decide who will represent them in Ottawa.

Hours before the voting begins, experts are weighing in on some of the ridings to keep an eye on.

"Barrie—Springwater—Oro Medonte will be an interesting one to look at and Simcoe North as well because that one is more open because there isn't an incumbent," said Michael Johns, a York University political science visiting professor.

Johns said the rising popularity of the Peoples Party of Canada (PPC) could impact many Canadian ridings, including those in the Simcoe County and the Muskoka area.

"If the PPC out preforms what they've been polling or the Conservatives do better or worse in this area, this might give a better understanding of how other areas in Ontario will do and that could determine the election," said Johns.

According to Johns, this year's election is far more negative than elections of the past.

Over the last few weeks, the country saw mass protests, political signs being damaged, and leaders verbally attacking one another.

"We have been moving towards this for a while— campaigns have become nastier," said Johns.

"This is a larger problem in our society and in societies around the world where we have very angry populous, and that's coming out in a number of ways and that may be due to the pandemic and being shut in for a period of time."

Johns says in order to maintain our democracy, this behaviour needs to stop— regardless of what a candidate is campaigning on.

On Monday, voting in Ontario will begin at 9:30 a.m. and run until 9:30 p.m.