Are you smart enough for Ranked Ballot?
5 top mayoral candidates spar over public safety, housing and taxes at CBC Toronto debate | CBC News
In 2020, Toronto city council voted against ranked ballots, giving the reason that it was too complicated for voters, and also "It's fine the way it is”, meaning some councillors preferred the shallowness of municipal campaigns.
Two and a half years ago we had a by-election for Mayor. 102 Candidates vied to the city’s top job, and Olivia Chow won with 37%. Ana Bailoa came second with 32.5%. It could have gone either way and we will never know which candidate a majority would have preferred because we don’t use ranked ballot. We could have indicated our first choice, our second, etc. Instead, we had to vote strategically.
Then 1 ½ years ago we had a by-election in this riding. There were 14 candidates. It was like a soap opera. There was a HERO and a VILLIAN. The dominant narrative at the door was “I can’t let the bad guy win”, as opposed to talking about our hopes and ideas for the city. Less than half of eligible voters turned up. Again, ranked ballot would have changed the narrative, if not the result. Maybe more people would have shown up.
Let’s stop this nonsense and fight for ranked ballot.
PS: If you agree, sign this Ranked Ballot InitiativeToronto’ (RaBIT) petition. https://www.rabit.ca/sign_the_petition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Toronto_mayoral_by-electionps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_15_Don_Valley_West
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked_Ballot_Initiative_of_Toronto