The Ontario government says it will amend the Ontario Elections Act to permit municipalities to use so-called ranked ballots in the next municipal elections in 2018. It is a process that has promise to end the frequent election of minority-vote candidates in Toronto Wards such as #26, #27 and others. Such balloting permits first and second choice for an elector. This process results in a winner who has a majority of the votes and tends to blunt the impact of electoral slates with 15 or more candidates This type of result is common in Toronto as well as Ontario elections and can result in the election of a candidate with less than 30 percent of the vote. The Ontario announcement does not mean the City is required to adopt ranked balloting It will require City Council to vote for such a reform in the near future for the change to be ready for 2018.
