Voter turnout was up in Waterloo region and surrounding areas this Ontario election

An unusual winter election didn't stop voters in Waterloo region and surrounding areas from turning out for Thursday night's Ontario election.

A total of 372,225 ballots were cast in local ridings for the 2025 election, that's around 50,000 more than 2022, where 323,927 voters turned out.

Voter turnout was a lingering concern given the winter weather, with some regions of the province under weather advisories throughout election day. However, Elections Ontario lists the province-wide voter turnout at 45.4 per cent. That's up slightly from 2022's 44 per cent, the lowest-ever turnout in Ontario's history.

In Waterloo region and other ridings in CBC K-W's listening area, 49.7 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

Simon Kiss is an associate professor in political science at Wilfrid Laurier University. He said he was surprised by the robust turnout, given the weather.

"I think that actually speaks to a degree of discontent," he said.

He said that as much as the Progressive Conservative party and media outlets wanted to make this election about U.S. tariffs, "voters were actually much more concerned about health care and housing."

Issues with which Kiss said the PC government has a bad track record.

But he said he thinks voters struggled with choosing an alternative.

"The NDP did very well in its established ridings and the Liberals spread their vote too thin," said Kiss.

Election results

Thursday night's Ontario election saw incumbent parties holding their seats in every local riding.

In Cambridge, PC Brian Riddell defended his seat with 43.7 per cent of the vote, beating Liberal Rob Deutschmann by 4,074 votes.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner ran away with the Guelph seat, winning for a third time, garnering 56.9 per cent of the vote and beating PC Robert Coole by 19,852 votes.

After first winning her seat in a December 2023 by-election, Green Aislinn Clancy won again, beating PC Rob Elliot by 11,209 votes and receiving 51.4 per cent of the vote.

In Kitchener-Conestoga, PC Mike Harris Jr. was victorious for a third term in a row, getting 41.5 per cent of the vote and topping Liberal Joe Gowing by 4,915 votes.

Kitchener South-Hespeler PC Jess Dixon kept her job in the riding with the lowest voter turnout percentage, topping Liberal Ismail Mohamed by 7,533 votes and receiving 45.4 per cent of the vote.

Perth-Wellington re-elected PC Matthew Rae in the riding with the highest per cent of eligible voters turning out. He collected 47 per cent of the vote and beat Liberal Ashley Fox by 8,205 votes.

As the region's longest serving MPP, NDP's Catherine Fife defended her seat for a fifth time, winning 50.2 per cent of the vote and besting PC Peter Turkington by 11,385 votes.

In Wellington-Halton Hills where 35-year PC MPP and former speaker Ted Arnott stepped down, his PC replacement Joseph Racinsky was elected. He garnered 45.2 per cent of the vote and beat Liberal Alex Hilson by 9,555 votes.