Admiral Beez
Superstar
One is the premier, the other is dead. Neither is a candidate for mayor.Like Doug Ford? He's not a good candidate.
His brother, Rob, was worse.
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- Thread starter SJD_Toronto
- Start date
adma
Superstar
Wouldn't stop the former, though.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
Well, if left-leaning, self described progressive Torontonians do not want a Fordian mayor they need to decide asap upon a single contender and put forth one, not five candidates, and one with more universal appeal and charisma. Splitting the vote will get us a populist conservative. And we must remember that a good portion, perhaps a majority of those who will/can vote do not live in the downtown core, but in the car dependent suburbs of Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke. The subjects we may care about here on UT, homelessness, addiction, bicyclist and pedestrian safety, transit, and density may not be top of mind to voters in Mimico, for example.
Toronto’s shotgun race for mayor already under way
Former deputy mayor Ana Bailao, Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford, and midtown councillor Josh Matlow are lining up teams of campaigners after John Tory’s sudden resignation
www.theglobeandmail.com
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W. K. Lis
Superstar
W. K. Lis
Superstar
That is why Doug Ford scrapped ranked ballots.
Doug Ford suddenly decided to scrap ranked ballots for elections. What does that mean for Toronto?
Advocates say ranked ballots allow for better representation, more civility and more diversity in an election.
From link. Dated Wed., Oct. 21, 2020
If you’d never heard of ranked ballots before Premier Doug Ford decided to scrap them Tuesday, you aren’t alone.
The idea has been percolating across several Canadian cities, including Toronto and others in Ontario, for years and has only been tested once. That, advocates say, is not enough evidence to toss out the rules, but the election that was held in London, Ont., offered plenty of evidence they can work elsewhere — creating the opportunity to add diverse voices on councils with stronger mandates to lead.
Here’s what you need to know about the electoral system in danger of being turfed:
So, what are ranked ballots?
Ranked ballots are a different way of voting than what many in Canada are used to.
If you’ve voted here in any government election, you’ve been given a ballot that asks you to make a mark beside your preferred candidate. Sometimes you’re voting in more than one race. For example, during the Toronto municipal election you might pick a mayor, local councillor and school trustee. But you only get one vote for each. The candidate with the most votes wins, even if it’s not a majority. This is called first-past-the-post.
A ranked ballot asks you to make three choices, in order of preference. Your top pick is the one you want to win, but if they don’t win, you’d be OK with your second choice prevailing and so on.
The ballots are tallied first by looking at all the first choices. If any one candidate gets more than 50 per cent of the votes, they win. If no one has a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the second votes on those ballots is tallied. This process continues until there is a winner.
Have they ever been used in a Canadian election?
The first and only Canadian city so far to use ranked ballots was London, Ont., in the 2018 election. There were no major issues reported and the voting process was generally viewed as a success. According to a staff report produced for London council in 2019, 68 per cent of voters in the mayor’s race ranked their choices and a total 47 per cent ranked three choices. “We believe, based on the response from the elector at the polls that generally speaking the public understood there was a change in the election process, with most electors (based on our analysis of the Mayor’s race) choosing to rank their candidates,” according to the report.
Why switch to ranked ballots?
Advocates for the system highlight several potential benefits, including increased representation, civility and diversity.
- Increased representation: Ranked ballots strive to see candidates elected with majority votes, unlike first-past-the-post where the aim is to elect whichever candidate has the most votes and a candidate can win with far less than 50 per cent if the vote is split among many candidates. This happened in Toronto in 2014, where a councillor won their seat with 17 per cent. That, democracy advocates argue, does not make for good representation — most of the residents in that ward that voted did not choose that councillor. With ranked ballots, there’s also a potential that voters will see their vote as mattering more because even if their first-place pick doesn’t win, their second or third choice could be elected.
- Increased civility: Because ranked ballots allow voters to pick more than one candidate, instead of candidates going head-to-head trying to knock each other down, advocates of this system say it’s likely to encourage fewer attacks and greater focus on candidate’s own campaigns — what are they offering and why are they worth even an elector’s second choice? The idea being that attacking an opponent is likely to turn off their supporters from ranking you at all.
- Increased diversity: Advocates like Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto (RaBIT)have outlined how a ranked ballot system — one that could increase civility in elections — could also encourage marginalized groups and underrepresented folks who typically don’t put their names forward to run, including women and people of colour. By increasing the pool of those candidates and bringing their supporters into local elections, it’s also possible to increase actual representation on councils. RaBIT notes there has been a gradual increase in diversity on councils where ranked ballots are used elsewhere, such as San Francisco.
Did it work in London?
Election watchers say there is evidence all three of those benefits were at play in the 2018 London election.
A new report released this week from Unlock Democracy Canada, a grassroots group pushing for ranked ballots and other initiatives, reviewed the election in detail.
- Increased representation: More than 1,500 members of council in Ontario currently have a weak mandate, with less than 50 per cent of voter support, the report notes, including most of Toronto city council. In London, 93 per cent have a majority mandate after the 2018 election. Because some ballots get exhausted — no winner is selected even after tallying that ballot’s second and third choices, it’s not always possible to win with a majority. “Nothing is more sacred in a democratic process than to secure an outcome that reflects the genuine will and desires of the electorate. Only one city in all of Canada currently uses a system that aims to achieve that goal,” the report says.
- Increased civility: “While the London election wasn’t immune to negative campaigning, it seems that any attacks were carried out anonymously rather than part of any official campaign,” the report says, adding the candidates were on their “best behaviour.”
- Increased diversity: London elected its first Black female councillor in 2018, Arielle Kayabaga. She told the Star Wednesday she was motivated to run when she went to an information session and learned about ranked ballots. “I’d seen women get attacked because they were women or they were mothers,” said the single mother of one. She also noted the city’s history of racism. “I wasn’t sure that I wanted to run knowing that people were going to be attacking me based on my gender and my skin colour.” But when she learned a ranked ballot system may force people to focus on their own campaigns, she said it was the boost she needed. “Thinking that was going to be less of a barrier pushed me to want to run.” Kayabaga was in the lead with 29 per cent of the votes on the first round, according to official election results, and eventually secured the seat with 49 per cent of the vote on the eighth round.
Is it expensive to change electoral systems?
The London example shows there are start-up costs, but long-term ranked term ballot elections are not significantly more expensive than first-past-the-post elections. That counters the Ford government explanation for the surprise changes, in part, due to added expense.
The Unlock Democracy report found that fixed costs only total $24,500 — $12,000 for the software licence required and $42,500 for printing larger ballots. That works out to 10 cents per taxpayer, the report calculated. Even totalling indirect costs and one-time costs for things like the public consultations done in 2017, the total cost is $515,446 or $2 per taxpayer.
What other criticism are there of ranked ballots?
Those opposed to ranked ballots, including former councillor Justin Di Ciano, who formed a “grassroots” group with Conservative pollsters Nick Kouvalis and Richard Ciano in 2016 to oppose electoral reforms, say ranked ballots are too confusing for residents. They also say that ranked balloting doesn’t always achieve a majority outcome, so it’s still a plurality system like first-past-the-post.
The report on London says that criticism falls flat.
“Whereas ranked ballots can’t always ensure a majority mandate, first-past-the-post doesn’t even try,” it says.
It also pointed to how many people chose to rank candidates in London as evidence that ranking not only works, but that people know how to do it and want to do it when picking candidates.
christiesplits
Senior Member
That's code that she's 100% running for something. Whether it's the OLP leadership or mayor, I have no clue.
SJD_Toronto
Active Member
My guess is Mitzie Hunter runs in the mayor race if it looks like she can actually win and if she will have some big backers behind her.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
Charter City Toronto
See link.
Toronto is a sophisticated, modern, global city. The envy of the world.
With the brains, energy, talent and drive to run our own affairs.
We think it's time we were treated that way.
With the brains, energy, talent and drive to run our own affairs.
We think it's time we were treated that way.
adma
Superstar
A recommendation to pollsters doing touchtone phone surveys on the mayoral election: it's not a good look when the automated message suggests it's going to be a one-minute survey and then it winds up taking several minutes to go through a whole lot of questions; and then a "final 30 second" alert followed by, well, another few minutes.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
We're stuck with Ford as Premier until at least 2026. The NDP will never again gain power, and the Liberals remain in disarray. Until the NDP steps away and the Libs step up the OPCs will run the show into 2030.
SJD_Toronto
Active Member
Election day is set.
June 26.
June 26.
Richard White
Senior Member
Woo hoo!
W. K. Lis
Superstar
Key word is TENTATIVELY. Subject to change, if there is a special city hall meeting before March 29.
Toronto mayoral byelection to be held on June 26
From link.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
If unable to vote on election day, or at advance voting, you should be able to vote by mail.
This link hasn't been updated yet.
This link hasn't been updated yet.
You must return your completed Mail-in Voting package to Toronto Elections by __________, 2023, at noon (12 p.m.).
Return your completed Mail-in Voting package through Canada Post to arrive by __________ or hand deliver it to a secure Mail-in Voting yellow drop box. One yellow drop box is available in each ward until ________ at noon (12 p.m.). You can deposit your completed package in any yellow drop box.
Mail-in Voting packages include:
- An instruction/declaration form, which requires a signature for the vote to count.
- An official ballot.
- A white ballot secrecy envelope.
- A yellow return envelope with pre-paid postage.
Note: If you applied to vote by mail, you will also receive a voter information card. It’s okay! The reason you receive a voter information card is because your name is on the voters’ list. You only need a voter card when you go to vote in person. As soon as your application to vote by mail is approved by Toronto Elections, you are marked as “voted” and asked not to vote in person during advance vote or on election day. You can only vote once! If you change your mind and haven’t returned your Mail-in Voting package, and want to vote in person, you will be required to complete a declaration at the voting place. You must provide acceptable identification that shows your name and qualifying Toronto address.
No sign of online voting for Toronto, despite use in other GTA regions
From link. Dated Sep 22, 2022.Online systems being used for municipal elections in Markham, Pickering and Ajax
Amare
Senior Member
I have no idea how the city is going to get this election running for June but I wish them luck. It take immense planning and logistics work to get an election off running, at least 1+ year of heavy work and that's being modest. But to do a city wide election in less then 4 months?
The city deserves a plaque if everything goes smoothly.
The city deserves a plaque if everything goes smoothly.