Opinion Polls Should Be Banned Ahead of Elections: Ontario’s Elections Watchdog

A vote sign is displayed outside a polling station during advanced voting in the Ontario provincial election in Carleton Place, Ont., on May 24, 2022. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

A new report by Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer says opinion polls can influence election results and they should be banned two weeks in advance of election day.

The report looks at lessons learned from Ontario’s 2022 election, which had a record low turnout of 44 percent. “Many lost interest in the election due to early reports of one-sided results,” said the report, which was released March 31.