Burlington, Ont. – Sept. 29, 2020—At its meeting on Sept. 28, Burlington City Council approved initiating a public consultation process regarding the use of ranked ballots in the 2022 municipal election.
City staff will report back to the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee with a proposed engagement plan, timeline, and budget before the consultation will take place. Any public consultation must be done by May 2021, as legislated by the Municipal Elections Modernization Act 2016, Ontario Regulation 310/16.
Any future decisions about moving forward with a ranked ballot election will be made following the public consultation.
What are ranked ballots?
In a ranked ballot system, voters have the option of selecting up to three candidates, ranking them by preference of their first, second, and third choice. The candidate who achieves the threshold of 50 per cent plus one vote is elected. After tabulating the votes, if there is no candidate who meets the 50 per cent plus one threshold, then the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The ballots that selected the eliminated candidate as the first choice are now redistributed to the remaining candidates, this time using those voters’ second choice candidate. This process is repeated until a candidate who achieves the 50 per cent plus one threshold is met.
Burlington is ranked as Canada’s best community and best place to raise a family. It is a City where people, nature and businesses thrive. As residents continue to rediscover many of their favourite spaces and activities in the city, City services may look different as we work to stop the spread of COVID-19. The City’s commitment to providing the community with essential services remains a priority. Sign up to learn more about Burlington at Burlington.ca/Enews and download the free City of Burlington app.
Quote
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
“I look forward to hearing the community’s thoughts on the option of ranked ballots as early as the 2022 election. With a ranked ballot system, every vote truly counts. Whoever is elected will have received some measure of support from a majority of voters. This has the potential to increase voter confidence in the representation they have on City Council, and in turn increase voter turnout. Democracy is a fundamental right in our community and I support continued discussions around changes that can potentially make it better.”
Quick Facts
- The next municipal election is Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.
- In the last municipal election on Oct. 22, 2018, a total of 51,021 electors cast a ballot - a participation rate of 39.79 per cent.
- Ranked ballots were introduced by way of Provincial Bill 181, the Municipal Elections Modernization Act 2016, with its processes further outlined in Ontario Regulation 310/16.
Links and Resources
-30-
Media contact:
Sharon Will
Communications Advisor
905-335-7600, ext. 7483
sharon.will@burlington.ca
