Ranked balloting not a 'weird, new idea,' democratic reform advocate says

Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and the region have all said no to ranked ballots for the 2018 election.

So, too, has almost every other municipality in Ontario, except for one: The City of London.

• London could be first in Ontario to adopt electoral reform

This week, London is holding public consultations to explain the ranked balloting system to residents.

Dave Meslin of Unlock Democracy will be part of those consultations and explained once people understand the benefits of the system, they'll be on board.

And if London votes ahead of the May 1 deadline to go ahead with ranked ballots, other municipalities will quickly follow.

"You put 10 kids in a room and give one of them chocolate cake, you're going to have a big fight on your hands and that's what we're going to have in Ontario," he said. "As soon as one city takes the plunge, it's going to be the first domino to fall."

Listen to the interview with Dave Meslin of Unlock Democracy on Wednesday's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris: