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Revealed Jan 29, 2025 • 4 minute learn
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This is an election FAQ curated only for you. Photograph by Photograph illustration /Postmedia
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After a number of weeks of hints, allegations and issues left unsaid, Ontario PC Chief Doug Ford lastly made it official Tuesday afternoon, kick-starting the official course of for a Feb. 27 election.
For these into ceremony, Ford requested Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont to conform to the election name. That set off the Writs of Election, the formal paperwork governing Ontario’s 124 ridings.
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Unique articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, meals evaluations and occasion listings within the weekly publication, Ottawa, Out of Workplace.Limitless on-line entry to Ontario Chronicle and 15 information websites with one account. Ontario Chronicle ePaper, an digital reproduction of the print version to view on any machine, share and touch upon.Every day puzzles, together with the New York Occasions Crossword.Assist native journalism.
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Elections Ontario is the unaffiliated board that oversees all parts of the marketing campaign. Greg Essensa has served as Chief Electoral Officer since 2008.
Whereas the official information arrived Tuesday, the events have been operating campaign-like TV and radio advertisements for months, trumpeting themselves and bad-mouthing their rivals.
Why name an election now?
After profitable a majority within the earlier election June 2, 2022, Ford and the ruling Progressive Conservatives weren’t required to return to the polls till 2026. Ford, nonetheless, says he wants a brand new mandate — “a strong, stable, four-year mandate” — to survive the dangers posed by U.S. President Donald Trump and his risk to impose 25-per-cent tariffs on all Canadian items.
To take care of a majority, the Conservatives have to win at the very least 63 seats.
Liberal chief Bonnie Crombie, NDP chief Marit Stiles and Inexperienced chief Mike Schreiner have all stated an election now could be an pointless waste of cash.
What occurred within the 2022 election?
The PC’s received a convincing 83 of 124 seats, with a well-liked vote of 40.8 per cent. The NDP claimed 31 seats and 23.7 per cent of the voting share. Apparently, whereas the Liberals claimed a better standard vote than the NDP (23.8 per cent), they received solely eight seats.
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That election hardly excited the plenty. The most important disappointment of all was the truth that solely 44.06 per cent of eligible voters forged ballots — the bottom turnout in Ontario election historical past. In 2018, when Ford received his first Ontario election, 57 per cent of eligible voters forged ballots.
The vote rely can be intriguing, contemplating that the federal Liberals are at the moment present process their very own management marketing campaign, which is able to then be adopted be a nationwide election.
What are the numbers within the Ontario legislature now?
The PC’s at the moment have 79 members within the provincial parliament, adopted by the NDP at 28 and the Liberals at 9. There are six Independents and two Inexperienced celebration members.
When did the opposition events change their leaders?
The large PC victory in 2022 spurred adjustments within the opposition ranks. Stephen Del Duca, who headed the Liberals in that election, has since been changed by Crombie, a former Mississauga mayor who received the management in December 2023. Marit Stiles took over as NDP chief in February 2023, succeeding Andrea Horwath, who headed the celebration in the course of the 2022 election.
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What are the ridings within the Ottawa space and who at the moment holds the seats?
The voting districts embody:
Ottawa-Vanier (Lucille Collard, Liberal),
Ottawa West-Nepean (Chandra Pasma, NDP),Ottawa South (John Fraser, Liberal),Ottawa Centre (Joel Harden),Nepean (Lisa MacLeod, PC),Orléans (Stephen Blais, Liberal),Carleton (Goldie Ghamari, Unbiased),Kanata-Carleton (Karen McCrimmon, Liberal),Glengarry-Prescott-Russell (Stéphane Sarrazin, PC),Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston (John Jordan, PC) andRenfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke (John Yakabuski, PC).
In September, MacLeod introduced by way of social media that she wouldn’t be searching for re-election.
Who’s eligible to vote?
Everybody who is eighteen years previous, lives in Ontario and holds Canadian citizenship. Most eligible voters will obtain voter data playing cards (VIC) within the mail. The VIC contains particulars about what district to vote in and the positioning of the native election workplace. With a purpose to vote, one piece of legitimate ID is critical. The Elections Ontario web site, www.elections.on.ca, contains data of what ID is appropriate and methods to replace change of handle and different data.
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How do I discover out the place my driving is?
To search out your electoral district, enter your postal code within the Elections Ontario Voter Info Service on-line software. This useful software will present you your electoral district title, electoral district quantity, who the present MPP is, plus maps and extra basic data.
Are you able to vote and not using a Voter Info Card?
Sure, offering you’ve got proof of residence and have legitimate ID and present that data to election officers on voting day.
Are you able to vote by mail?
Sure, however with a purpose to accomplish this, you have to submit a vote-by-mail utility — accessible on-line — and supply ID with house handle data.
Are you able to vote on-line?
How quickly can somebody vote upfront?
As soon as native election places of work have been arrange — usually that happens a day after the election known as — residents are eligible to vote upfront. To take action, voters should current ID and fill out particular poll functions at native election places of work.
What about college students attending college away from house?
Ontario college students can select to vote in both their unique house driving or within the district the place they attend college or faculty. Once more, proof of handle and ID is critical. Nonetheless, on-campus voting is just open to those that reside on-campus.
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College students from Ontario who’re finding out outdoors the province can mail of their votes. They have to, nonetheless, fill out a Register of Absentee Voter kind to obtain voting kits.
That very same Register of Absentee Voter kind applies to any Ontario resident who’s understanding of the province in the course of the election.
Is it doable to vote at house?
Sure, in uncommon circumstances involving medical requirements. Voters should contact native election places of work to elucidate the circumstances. If accepted, two election officers will deliver a voting package to your house.
What if somebody needs to formally decline their poll?
That is totally different from the 56 per cent of eligible voters in 2022 who selected to not get entangled within the election. A proper effort to say no a poll is a authentic choice. A voter should inform an election official of their intentions and the official will write “declined” on the again of the poll. Declined ballots are positioned in a separate field and are counted on election evening.
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