The province of Ontario is opening the doors to fair and friendly local municipal elections!
Bill 181 allows any municipality to use ranked ballots for local elections. Ranked ballots can be used in single-member districts (like Toronto) or as a proportional system in multi-member wards (or at-large councils).
These changes are historic and mark Canada's first step towards abandoning First-Past-the-Post.
Update: London Ontario is currently the only city that is exploring adoption of ranked ballots for 2018.
123 Ontario is a network of municipal voting reform campaigns across the province. (see list below!)
Let's reclaim our City Halls and bring fair voting to our local elections!
More coming soon!.....
If you want to start a local campaign, please get in touch!
Media coverage:
2017
LONDON: City Committee Endorses Ranked Ballot Voting • Jan 25 • AM640
LONDON: London could be first in Ontario to adopt electoral reform • Jan 24 • CBC
LONDON: City Councillors Eye Electoral Reform • Jan 24 • Blackburn News
LONDON: Politicians divided over ranked-ballot voting system • Jan 24 • London Free Press
LONDON: City Politicians to Debate Ranked Ballot Voting System • Jan 24 • AM980
LONDON: Ranked ballot system up for debate locally • Jan 22 • CTV
2016
NORTHWEST ONT: Ranked ballots possible for future elections • June 9 2016 • The Chronicle Journal
NIAGARA: Niagara reacts to municipal election changes • June 9th 2016 • Niagara Falls Review
LONDON: Ontario municipalities can use ranked ballots • June 8 2016 • London Free Press
HAMILTON: Ontario municipalities now allowed to use ranked ballots • June 7 2016 • Hamilton Spectator
ORANGEVILLE: Ontario municipalities can use ranked ballots • June 7 2016 • Orangevile Banner
KINGSTON: Kingston mayor open to ranked ballots in next election • April 7 2016 • This Whig
2015
OSHAWA: Ranked ballots a possibility for 2018 election • August 4th 2015 • Oshawa Express
OTTAWA: Could ranked ballots help Ottawa's dismal municipal election turnout? • July 19 2015 • METRO
HAMILTON: Hamilton's current election procedure is a “broken system" • July 9 2015 • Community News
HAMILTON: Ranked ballot voting to be promoted in Hamilton • July 9 2015 • Hamilton Spectator
YORK REGION: Ranked ballots important change • July 2 2015 • YorkRegion.com
LONDON: Group Pushing For Council Support Of Ranked Ballots • June 15 2015, BlackBurn News
WINDSOR: Do you want to rank candidates when you vote in 2018? • June 5 2015 • Windsor Star
PETERBOROUGH: Time for change in way we vote • June 4 2015 • Peterborough Examiner
SUDBURY: Ranked ballots would eliminate negative campaigns: advocate • June 4 2015 • Northern Life
NORFOLK: VIEWPOINT: The benefits of ranked ballots • June 8 2015 • Norfolk News
CAMBRIDGE: Editorial: Ranked ballots – anything less is an insult • June 5th 2015 • Cambridge Times
2014
TORONTO: How ranked ballots could change Toronto elections in 2018 • Oct 27 2014, CityNEWS
WINNIPEG: Winnipeg needs a ranked ballot: Time to vote positively, not defensively • Oct 21 2014, CBC
WINDSOR: Ranked Ballots Windsor • Oct 10 2014, CBC Radio
OTTAWA: Ranked ballots are a worthwhile experiment • Oct 10 2014, Ottawa Citizen
ONTARIO: Ontario points the way with ranked ballots experiment • Oct 2 2014, Globe and Mail
LONDON: "A vote for Change" • June 24 2014, London Free Press
Ontario Ranked Ballot Summit 2016
Sunday August 7th • 10am to 5pm
Toronto City Hall • Council Chambers!
Volunteers across the province are organising local grassroots campaigns for fair and friendly elections. On August 7th, they are coming together to learn, share, strategise and inspire.
All welcome • Free • Facebook RSVP
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
10am Introductions
10:30 Show & Tell. Quick campaign updates from RaBIT,
Ottawa123, 123 Whitby, Ranked Ballots Windsor,
123Hamilton, Kingston123 + more!
11:30 Bill 181, The Municipal Elections Modernization Act
What it means for cities + how all this unfolds in
2017.
Noon 'Nine Lies'. How our opponents will try to stop us,
and how we can declaw their tactics.
12:30 Lunch (free + served on premise)
1:00 Citizens Reference Panels, with Peter MacLeod
from MASS LBP.
1:30 'South of the Border'. An update from FairVote
USA's Ethan Fitzgerald.
2pm 'The Federal Scene'. A discussion about Trudea's
federal process, including a presentation from
Leadnow's Katelynn Northam + Morgan Baskin!
3pm Campaigning + Messaging: Tips, tricks and
simulations
4pm General discussion
4:30 123Ontario: Moving forward