After online “ballot box stuffing” invalidated the first try, Torontonians are again being invited to vote for a permanent name for the $25-million Gardiner underpass transformation.

Waterfront Toronto says people can vote online — once — for either “The Bentway” or the “The Artery” between noon Thursday and noon Monday.

An earlier competition that saw those names compete with “The Canopy” and “The Gathering Place” was invalidated after, in its final hours, a surge of votes for “The Artery” made it catch up to “The Bentway,” which had been a clear leader for days. A “bent” is a concrete support holding up an expressway.

A panel came up with the four-name shortlist after a public engagement campaign yielded 884 suggestions. Plans to transform 1.75 kilometres of drab underpass into lively spaces with parks, markets and more were triggered by an unprecedented $25-million donation to the city from philanthropists Judy and Wil Matthews.

“A small contingent tried to manipulate the voting outcome by adding invalid votes to one of the front-runner names,” the waterfront revitalization agency said in a statement. “The voting rules clearly stated that a valid email address is needed to vote and that voting is limited to once a day.”

Waterfront Toronto, funded by the city, provincial and federal governments, hired a research and data firm, which removed the “fraudulent” votes from the final count, leaving the two front-runners only 10 votes apart.

The company, Vox Pop Lab, suggested that Waterfront Toronto hold an online runoff between “The Bentway and “The Artery,” with extra safeguards to prevent multiple votes. Voters must provide a valid email address and can vote only once. Unlike last time, real-time results will not be displayed online.

“We do not want the actions of a few to derail the spirit of our naming campaign,” the agency said.

“While we are disappointed that some individuals attempted digital ‘ballot box stuffing,’ in order to subvert an open and public vote, we are thankful for all of the interest and enthusiasm we have generated.”

If all goes smoothly, Waterfront Toronto will announce the winner next week after a “validation process.”

That name will go to city council, which will make the final decision. The project’s name and logo will be unveiled in June or July.

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