Understanding Public Support for Electoral Reform in Ontario, Canada

In recent years, activist groups across Canada have advocated for electoral reforms at all levels of government, including changes to the electoral system, opportunities to cast ballots online, a reduction in the minimum voting age, and an extension of the voting franchise to long-time residents who are noncitizens. At present, very little is known about public support for these reforms and how support varies by reform type and level of government. Drawing on a large survey of eligible voters in Ontario, we find that public opinion varies substantially across reforms, with high support for internet voting and ranked ballots, and lower support for changes to the franchise. We also find that support is stronger for reform at the municipal level than it is either provincially or federally. Finally, we find that partisanship is an important predictor of reform attitudes. We conclude with a discussion of the possible policy implications of our findings.