After a day of silence, the Green Party of Canada has finally disclosed voter turnout for the controversial co-leadership ratification vote—and the numbers are dismal. Only 2,990 of 10,301 eligible members cast a ballot, meaning 71% of members didn’t participate.
This comes after Global Green News previously called out the party for failing to disclose the turnout when it first announced the results earlier this week. The party initially celebrated that 89.4% of voting members approved Jonathan Pedneault as co-leader, but without providing critical context: a supermajority of the membership simply didn’t vote.
A Sharp Drop in Member Engagement
Compared to past leadership contests, the decline is stark. The 2020 Green Party leadership race saw over 69% voter participation, with 23,877 members voting. Even the 2022 contest, which was widely seen as uncompetitive, still had 36% turnout, with 8,215 members casting a ballot. In both cases, there were multiple candidates and real debate—unlike this year’s ratification, which was a simple yes/no vote on a predetermined outcome.
The Green Party’s sluggish disclosure suggests it only released the numbers after public pressure, as criticism mounted over the lack of transparency. Global Green News previously reported on the party’s failure to release this information when first announcing the results.
A Troubling Trend for the Greens
With membership numbers plummeting and voter participation in freefall, the party’s leadership faces serious questions about its legitimacy moving forward. The low engagement also undermines the credibility of Pedneault’s return, reinforcing the argument that this was a rubber-stamped appointment rather than a democratic leadership selection.
Had this been a real leadership race with multiple candidates, would Pedneault have won? The low turnout makes that an open question.
For a party that claims to champion grassroots democracy, the Green Party’s handling of this vote sends a different message: decisions are being made by a small fraction of members while the vast majority sit on the sidelines—or leave entirely.
Read more on Global Green News:
• Green Party Refuses to Disclose Turnout in Leadership Ratification Vote
• Where is Pedneault? Green Party’s New Meme Erases Its Own Co-Leader
• Green Party Proposes CSIS Screening for Leadership Candidates, Raising Democratic Concerns
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