Was the ranked ballot system the reason for the low voter turnout in London?

As the results emerged for the 2018 London municipal election, one thing was certain fromthe city's first foray into the world of ranked ballots; fewer people voted.

City Clerk Cathy Saunders told CBCRadio's London Morning on Tuesday that the unofficial turnout was around 39 per cent.

One caller to the radio program on Tuesday blamed the ranked ballot systemfor the lower turnout. "Scared a lot of people. They weren't accustomed to it," decried the caller named Rob.

It was asentiment also expressed on social media.

ButJacquiNewman, an associate professor of political science at King's University College in London, doubts that ranked ballotswould have been a "huge deterrent" for would-be voters.

"Percentage-wise that is still pretty close to what it was (in the last election)," she said.

Instead, Newman thinks the lower turnout was more likely the result of the nature of the campaign that saw a close race between four front-runners.

"It may not have grabbed people as much as they felt they could make a firm choice when they walked into the polls," said Newman.

"There are so many factors that affect voter turnout," said DaveMeslin, creative directorof the pro-ranked ballotgroup, Unlock Democracy.

"We just voted in the spring for a provincial government. Some people are like, okay, once a year," saidMeslin. "You have to take time off from work, line up, so there is an issue of voter fatigue."

Municipal turnouts lag

ZackTaylor, an assistant political science professor at Western University, said he wasn't troubled by the voter turnout in London.

The exception, he noted, was in Toronto, where in the last election turnout exceeded 50 per cent.

Taylor points out the city hasn't released the officialnumber of eligible voters in London for the 2018 election. He said that number gets adjustedon election day because people can show up and register on the spot.

TheMinneapolis experience

A drop in voter turnout was also the experience in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2009. That was the first year it used ranked ballots.

"The first election saw the turnout dropas voters were tentative to embrace the new method of choosing representatives," said Minneapolis City Clerk Casey Carl.

Carl said that in subsequent civic elections,also employing ranked ballots, the voter interest increased.

London's recent electoral engagement not strong

Voter turnout has been volatile in the recent elections in London, according to official election numbers.

• 2014: 43.2 per cent
• 2010: 39.9 per cent
• 2006: 43.9 per cent
• 2003: 35.9 per cent
• 2000: 32.7per cent
• 1997: 43.2 per cent
• 1994: 43.4 per cent

The next municipal election in London is scheduled to happen in 2022.

City administration will provide a report to the new council on the use of ranked ballots, which cost an estimated $500,000 to implement.

It will be up to the new council to decide whether to continue with ranked ballots four years from now.