Ranked ballots are about to revolutionize local elections in Ontario: More diversity, more civility, more choices & more voices!
To spread the word, and build our advocacy teams on the ground, we traveled across southern Ontario for a four-city road trip! Our traveling speakers included Jeanne Massey (Executive Director of FairVote Minnesota), Cynthia Richie Terrell (co-founder of FairVote and Director of Representation2020) and Dave Meslin (Creative Director of Unlock Democracy Canada) in addition to local speakers in each City!
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KINGSTON • February 27 2018
Agnes Etherington Art Centre
We heard from Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, former MP Ted Hsu, Councillor Mary Rita Holland, Queens Poli-Sci prof Jonathan Rose, Steve Ward from Kingston Greens and former Conservative candidate Andy Brooke. It was an incredible night!
Kingston is holding a historic referendum on ranked ballots in October 2018. We're putting together a strong YES campaign!
TORONTO • February 28
Church of the Holy Trinity
Toronto City Council are a bunch of cowards who have decided to maintain the current voting system - because it works great for them! They can slow down democratic modernisation, but they can't prevent it from happening. Change is coming, and it's coming soon. We heard from local speakers representing RaBIT, Open Democracy and Women Win Toronto. Our MC for the evening was Fearless Fred!
CAMBRIDGE • March 1
Cambridge City Hall
We heard from Linda Terry, the Executive Director of the Social Planning Council of Cambridge and North Dumfries as well as Matt Piggott (member of FairVote Canada). Cambridge is also holding a referendum on ranked ballots in October 2018, so we began to plan what a winning YES campaign might look like.
LONDON • March 2
Innovation Works
London City Council is the first government - anywhere in Canada - to ditch our broken voting system. This decision makes London the #1 innovator and pioneer of democratic reform in the country! We celebrated this change, and also spoke about the hard work coming up to promote, explain and defend ranked choice voting from opponents who will try to turn back the clock! We heard from Mayor Matt Brown, Councillor Josh Morgan, Sameer Vasta (Urban League) and Anne-Marie Sánchez (from Women & Politics)!