Photo provided by Bobbi Ann Brady's Office
Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady is calling on the Ontario government to change how tied municipal elections are resolved, arguing that choosing a winner by random draw undermines confidence in the democratic process.
Brady tabled a motion and raised the issue in the Ontario Legislature following Norfolk County’s Ward 4 election, where Jeni Lambert and incumbent Chris Van Paassen each received exactly 858 votes.
A recount is scheduled for Thursday, November 5. If the candidates remain tied, the current process calls for the successful candidate to be chosen by lot.
Brady says that approach needs to be modernized.
“This is 2026, at a time when technology has transformed how we conduct elections, I find it difficult to accept that the outcome of a democratic election could ultimately come down to a lottery,” she said.
Brady’s motion calls on the province to modernize the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, and remove the provision allowing a tied result after a recount to be settled by lot.
She argues that legislators should be strengthening public confidence in elections, particularly when voter apathy is already a concern.
“Democracy should be determined by the voters, not by a coin toss or a name drawn from a hat,” Brady said.
Her call for change does not itself alter the process governing the Ward 4 recount.
Lambert has also questioned the tie-breaking method, telling our newsroom she would prefer another vote between the two remaining candidates if the recount does not separate them.
She said she had considered many possible election outcomes but never expected an exact tie.
Van Paassen declined an interview but told our newsroom he would wait for the process to unfold, noting that the Clerk is following the rules set out in the Municipal Elections Act.
Norfolk County Clerk William Tigert will oversee Thursday’s recount.
Brady says the unusual result presents an opportunity to reconsider how similar situations are handled in future elections.
“Surely, in 2026, we can come up with a better way to resolve a tie than leaving the outcome to chance,” she said.
