I’ve been wondering why nobody has taken this to the next level.
If 10 or so of these candidates had legally changed their names to Pierre Poilievre, that should be totally legal. They can change them back later.
this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2025
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That's certainly a creative thought! While I appreciate the outside-the-box thinking, I think such an approach might actually undermine the fundamental principles that electoral reform advocates are fighting for.
The current ballot protest is designed to highlight how our FPTP system fails to provide meaningful representation. Creating deliberate confusion with identical names shifts from highlighting systemic problems to potentially interfering with voters' ability to express their actual preferences.
The goal of proportional representation isn't to break the current system through loopholes, but to build a better one where every vote genuinely counts. Credibility matters in this movement - we need to demonstrate that we're advocating for a more fair and functional democracy, not just finding creative ways to obstruct the current one.
That said, I do appreciate the energy behind finding ways to make electoral reform impossible to ignore! If you're looking for effective ways to advance this cause, check out Simple things you can do right now to grow the proportional representation movement. There are many constructive actions that can help us build momentum toward real change.
Electoral reform is a gift to our grandchildren. It’s great seeing this smart young gent invest his time in this cause
You're absolutely right - electoral reform truly is a gift to future generations. What we're seeing with the Longest Ballot Committee is just one creative expression of the deep frustration many Canadians feel with our current system.
The beauty of proportional representation is that it solves a fundamental democratic problem: in our current system, millions of perfectly valid ballots have zero effect on election outcomes. In the 2022 Ontario election alone, about 2.5 million votes (54% of those cast) elected nobody at all.
Democracy requires that every vote counts and affects outcomes. Anything less undermines the legitimacy of our government.
If you'd like to help grow the PR movement beyond ballot protests, check out this link: Simple things you can do right now, to grow the proportional representation movement - so we never have to vote for the lesser of evils, split the vote, or vote strategically again.
As much as some people get annoyed by this, I think it's actually a good form of peaceful protest. It brings awareness to the issue without disrupting the election process. Anybody who ends up having difficulty voting because of this simply hadn't been thinking much about the election before picking up their ballot or hasn't really thought voting was important.
First-past-the-post has definitely being a net detriment to Canadian democracy and perpetuates the two party system that are far-right and right-of-center. The fact that most governments manage to come into power without the even getting half the votes, much less the majority of Canadian support, is proof that the governments we elect haven't been representing the will of the people.
I'm personally a fan of proportional representation as that means you can simply vote for your favourite candidate and ensure a greater mix of parties reach the table. This makes small parties and independents matter more, as they basically don't matter at all right now. They're just a formality since even if they can get a seat, they won't be heard with such little representation. It does increase the number of seats by a large amount, but it almost guarantees smaller voices will reach the table unless if the support for a single party in a region is overwhelming, which in itself is democracy doing its job.
Ranked ballots aren't bad either, just that I feel they're weaker since they tend to strengthen whatever party that forms the government and makes it easier to ignore other voices. But this does mean that smaller parties are more likely to get seats if they align with district interests more. To not have to vote strategically and just let people vote for their favourite candidate makes it far easier on the voter and helps get their voice out.
I completely agree with your assessment. This ballot protest is indeed a powerful yet peaceful way to highlight the fundamental flaws in our electoral system.
Your preference for proportional representation over ranked ballots is well-founded. While ranked ballots (IRV) might seem like an improvement, they're still a winner-take-all system that wastes votes. Under Single Transferable Vote (STV), you can actually have both ranked ballots AND proportional representation!
If you're looking to help advance the PR movement, check out: Simple things you can do right now, to grow the proportional representation movement