By Daisuke Sawatake

It is still uncertain if an alternative electoral system will be recommended, but a fair vote campaign group is gearing up for a possible referendum on electoral change.
The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, an independent body authorized by the Ontario government to determine whether to adopt an alternative voting system to replace the current system, will reach its final conclusion on April 15. Should the assembly recommend an alternative system, the recommendation will be put to a referendum to be held in conjunction with the upcoming provincial election on Oct. 10.
In the weekend meeting held March 31 and April 1, assembly members selected mixed member proportional system, or MMP, over single transferable voting system as a preferred alternative to compare to the status quo, the first-past-the-post system, which Ontarians have been familiar with since 1792.
Though there is still a possibility the assembly will decide to recommend retention of the current voting system, a group advocating electoral reform is preparing for a public educational campaign as the assembly's decision is drawing near.
"As we expect they will recommend moving toward MMP, we will be setting up a 'Yes Vote' campaign," said Joe Murray, chair of Fair Vote Ontario, a multi-partisan group calling for a more proportional voting system.
"We will be mobilizing our volunteers across the province working to win a referendum."
He said the organization is quite pleased with MMP system the assembly chose and believes the system is well adapted to Ontario's reality.
MMP is a voting system used in such countries as Germany, New Zealand and Mexico. The system would provide fairer representation for parties and lead to more frequent emergence of minority governments. Under MMP, two ballots are allocated to each voter - one for a candidate from the local riding, another for the party of their choice.
He said the current voting system causes inequity of votes between ridings and produces numerous "wasted votes". Proportional representation system, however, would solve such problems, he said.
"We also believe, if you bring in a proportional representation system, it gives more reasons for people to go out to vote, because their votes will make a difference, will be counted equally. They can vote for who they really want to see in the legislature," Murray said.
The purpose of the campaign is to encourage Ontarians to support the assembly's probable recommendation, said Larry Gordon, executive director of FVO, adding the campaign would involve interested citizens, students and other support groups.
"We do need voters' going to a referendum, making informed and educated decision. We do anticipate we are going to have to do a lot of public education," he said.
As for a possibility of winning in the referendum, he feels quite positive, pointing out a recent opinion poll suggests that citizens broadly support an overhaul of the electoral system.
The survey conducted in March by SES Research and Osprey Media shows 61 per cent of Ontario voters are open to electoral reform.
"We are fairly confident the yes vote is going to be over 60 per cent," said Gordon.
The Electoral System Referendum Act, tabled in October and currently in third reading, requires as thresholds for the referendum vote 60 per cent of all votes cast provincewide, plus a simple majority of more that 50 per cent of votes cast in at least 64 provincial ridings.
The organization anticipates the campaign will be mounted in late May, shortly after the assembly files its recommendation, due May 15.