TORONTO – POLITICS – The Ontario Liberal Party has unveiled its plans for a new leadership process, which it says will be the most inclusive and accessible in the party’s history. The party’s Executive Council met to establish the rules for the election of a new leader in 2023, following the membership’s decision to move to a direct voting system in March. The registration deadline for candidates is Tuesday, September 5, 2023, with an entry fee of $100,000 plus a refundable $25,000 deposit. The membership cut-off date for eligibility to vote is Monday, September 11, 2023.
The party will proceed with a ranked balloting system, with party members casting their ranked ballots on November 25 and 26, 2023. Voting will be available in person for almost all constituency associations, student clubs, and women’s clubs, with a small number voting by mail. Student clubs will have a later membership cut-off date of September 26, 2023. Ballot counting and the announcement of round-by-round results will take place on December 2, 2023, with the OLP’s new leader announced the same day.
Under the new leadership election system, each constituency association will be allotted 100 points, to be awarded to leadership candidates based on the proportion of votes they receive. Student clubs will be allotted 50 points, and women’s clubs will be allotted 5. The party will also host at least five debates around the province during the leadership election. Further information on the opening date for candidate registration will be announced soon.
Kathryn McGarry, OLP President, said that selecting the party’s next leader is crucial in setting the stage for a successful campaign to end Doug Ford’s term as Premier. She added that Liberals from across Ontario are feeling energized following the party’s largest Annual Meeting in over 20 years and are eager to continue building on this momentum as they prepare for a strong and competitive leadership race. Further information on the rules for the leadership election is available on the party’s website at ontarioliberal.ca.
