TORONTO- Olivia Chow said she will make shortening Toronto’s lengthy municipal election campaign a priority if she’s elected mayor.
The mayoral candidate released a statement Tuesday saying, if elected, she will approach the province about pushing back the date candidates can register from early January to just after Canada Day in July.
She noted this municipal campaign, which began Jan. 2, has already run 159 days—longer than five back-to-back provincial elections— and there’s still 140 days to go.
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“I love speaking with people all across our city, but every day someone mentions how long the race is,” said Chow, in a news release. “It makes sense that a municipal election be somewhat longer than provincial ones, but ten times as long is just too long. Having shorter elections better focuses debate about our city and better reflects the reality of mayoral races today.”
Chow noted in other cities like Vancouver and Winnipeg, which are having elections this year, registration begins much later in the year.
“Having almost a full year of campaigning doesn’t benefit our city. We elect federal governments in 36 days and provincial ones in 28. It shouldn’t take 299 days to choose a mayor,” said Chow.
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Mayoral nominations are accepted from Jan. 2 to Sept. 11, and several debates have already been held in the race for Toronto`s next chief magistrate.
Although nominations are still open, candidates are not allowed to post signs until Oct. 2 Voters go to the polls to elect a new council on Oct. 27.
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