Q: What is ranked choice balloting?

A: Under the current system, known as “first past the post,” the candidate with the highest number of votes wins. To win an election with ranked balloting, however, the candidate must receive a true majority of votes. Voters have the option of choosing one favourite candidate or ranking their top three picks in order of preference. The winner is determined through a series of “instant run offs.”

Q: How does ranked balloting work?

A: First-place votes are counted, and if a candidate nets a majority — 50 per cent plus one — she wins. If not, the least popular candidate (or several candidates, depending on the agreed rules) is cut, and the second-choice votes of her supporters are transferred to the remaining candidates. The run-offs continue until someone achieves a majority.

Q: Where else is ranked balloting in place?

A: Ranked ballots are used in mayoral and other municipal elections in a several U.S. cities and overseas, including San Francisco; Memphis, Tenn.; Wellington, New Zealand; and London, England. Canadians may recognize this system from political party leadership conventions, but Toronto would be the first jurisdiction in the country to adopt it.

Q: What are the arguments for and against it?

A: Proponents see ranked balloting as a fairer way to choose elected officials. It would also bring an end to the threat of vote-splitting, a fear that often prompts candidates to drop out, according to local activist Dave Meslin, who heads Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto (RaBIT). “It would be a more inclusive environment, which I think would boost diversity on the ballot,” he said. However, as a report from the city manager and clerk pointed out, ranked voting is a more complex and lengthy process. Some critics say it could confuse voters.

Q: What legislative changes are required to implement it?

A: As the staff report explains, the province would need to amend the Municipal Elections Act to “authorize the use and establish the framework” of ranked choice balloting for a municipal election — no simple task. “A careful and thorough legal review needs to be conducted as other pieces of legislation may also be affected by this amendment,” the report notes.

Q: How likely is it that the province will make these changes?

A: On Wednesday, Premier Kathleen Wynne said she was open to considering Toronto’s ideas for electoral reform. “We need to commend the city council for looking at options for engaging people in the democratic process,” she said. But Mitchell Kosny, associate director of Ryerson University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning, questions whether Queen’s Park will overhaul the electoral system for a one city — or tinker with legislation that could prompt other municipalities to request similar changes. “I’m not sure that the province is going to want to open the floodgates,” he said.

Q: What would be needed at the municipal level?

A: While the exact impact on the bottom line is not yet known, the city manager’s report predicts that bringing ranked ballots to Toronto would mean added costs, at least initially, to train elections staff and conduct the necessary public education campaigns. Different voting technology is also needed, but the city is due to get new voting equipment after the 2014 municipal elections, so it would be included in the request for proposals. Ballot production costs would also increase.

Q: How soon could ranked ballots be in place?

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A: Because of the legislative amendments and public consultation needed to implement a new voting system, it’s too late for next election, but Meslin is hopeful it could be in place by 2018.