With mayoral debates heating up election races in both Mississauga and Toronto, a new INSAUGA Canada poll asked readers whether what happens on the debate stage can actually change their vote.

The question comes as voters across Ontario, including those in Toronto, Mississauga and communities throughout southern Ontario, prepare for the Oct. 26 municipal election.

In Toronto, Mayor Olivia Chow and Coun. Brad Bradford have also faced off in mayoral debates as candidates make their cases to voters ahead of election day.

In Mississauga, Mayor Carolyn Parrish and former mayor Bonnie Crombie have recently faced each other on the debate stage, discussing issues ranging from affordability and housing to taxes and the city’s finances.

But with debates attracting attention and giving voters an opportunity to see candidates challenged side-by-side, do they actually change anyone’s mind?

According to the INSAUGA Canada poll, most participating readers say they don’t — but a substantial number say they can.

A total of 2,072 votes were cast.

58.3 per cent, or 1,207 people, said debates do not affect their vote, while 41.7 per cent, or 865 people, said debates can change who they vote for.

That means more than four in 10 participating readers say an election debate could potentially change their vote.

Last 30 Days: 55,878 Votes

All Time: 1,557,169 Votes

2328 VOTES
Do election debates change who you vote for?

The finding is particularly timely in southern Ontario, where municipal campaigns are underway and debates are giving voters an opportunity to compare candidates and their positions before casting a ballot.

Research commissioned by Canada’s Leaders’ Debates Commission following the 2025 federal election suggests debates don’t change the minds of most people who watch them.

More than 80 per cent of Canadians who watched the federal debates said nothing during the debates changed their mind about whether to vote or who to vote for. However, 18.4 per cent said something in the debates changed their mind about who to support.

Debates can also serve a broader purpose beyond changing votes, giving voters an opportunity to compare candidates’ policies, records and responses to questions and criticism.

For voters in Toronto, Mississauga and across southern Ontario, debates are now part of the final stretch toward the Oct. 26 municipal election.

And while most respondents to the INSAUGA Canada poll say debates won’t change their vote, 865 out of 2,072 participants say they could.

The original INSAUGA Canada poll is not a scientific survey and represents only the views of readers who chose to participate. INSAUGA Canada, one of Canada’s largest independent digital news networks, generates approximately 50 million impressions per month across all of its networks.


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