Assessment of Ontario's Vote for MMP campaign

Assessment of Ontario’s Vote for MMP campaign (December 15, 2008)

After the disappointing loss in the Ontario referendum, Vote for MMP campaign leaders and volunteers engaged in a multi-faceted assessment process. Numerous Fair Vote chapters in Ontario held assessment meetings, all campaign riding captains were surveyed and the Fair Vote Ontario council held a one-day meeting in late November.

In the survey, riding captains indicated the following local campaign activities worked relatively well: explaining MMP to voters, setting up information tables, leafleting and placing lawn signs. Problems or weaknesses included: finding prominent local supporters, distributing posters, attending all-candidate meetings and doing effective outreach to other groups.

Regarding central campaign activities, riding captains said the following worked well: development of campaign materials, the speakers’ bureau, campaign updates to supporters, the radio ads and the campaign website. Central campaign activities rated as weak included: producing/distributing lawn signs, guiding volunteers, guiding riding captains, and having too few riding captains and volunteers for a major campaign.

The assessment meeting also reviewed external factors which had a major effect on the outcome, such as the poor public education program by Elections Ontario and the negative media environment. However, it was also noted that a number of factors were internal: 1) confused, inconsistent, soft campaign messaging, 2) insufficient ground network, i.e., too few chapters and volunteers, and 3) lack of funds and late arrival of major donations.

While disappointed with the loss, all were buoyed by having 1.5 million Ontarians vote for a proportional voting system. The activists were also buoyed by Dr. Fred Cutler’s research indicating a strong majority of Ontarians would have voted yes had they been well informed, as well as the polling data showing a strong majority of young voters intended to vote for MMP.

Fair Vote Ontario has now established a strategy committee to identify strategic priorities and actions for 2008 to help advance PR at all levels of government.