The City of Toronto had 102 candidates run for mayor in the June 26 byelection, but many people think that's too many. City council is expected to vote on a motion this week that, if passed, might see that number cut down considerably in the future.
Coun. Stephen Holyday is bringing forward the motion, seconded by Coun. Nick Mantas, that asks the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to review the refundable nomination filing fee of $200 and the number of endorsements currently outlined in the Municipal Elections Act, 25, for a candidate to run for mayor.
If the motion passes, it will be in the hands of the province to decide what a higher bar of entry might look like as they are responsible for setting these rules.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Melissa Diakoumeas, told CBC Toronto, "The Ministry reviews the municipal election process following each municipal election to ensure it continues to meet the needs of Ontario communities."
The rules were already made tougher recently. According to Toronto Elections, endorsements were only added to the nomination process in 2016. In 2018, the fee to run for mayor — refundable if you submit your financial filings on time —doubled from $100 to $200.
I don't even really care how many there are, I just wish we had ranked ballots so it would feel less like we need to be strategic with our vote
Yep, same here! Ranked ballots can help a lot and are much more needed than limiting the number of candidates.