Experts are ringing the alarm bells over the state of local democracy in Canada. In a recent book, Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level, academics argue three facts should be cause for concern about democracy at the local level: lower voter turnout, high re-election rates for incumbents, and a tarnished public image of local politics. As indicators of the health of a democracy, the data doesn’t look good. Fewer than half of eligible voters typically turn out in municipal elections.