Prime Minister Doug Ford will meet with the province’s lieutenant governor on Tuesday to demand the dissolution of the Ontario legislature, his office said.
Elizabeth Dowdswell is likely to accept his recommendation, and then the provincial election documents can be officially signed.
This means that the election campaign in 2022 will officially begin on Wednesday, with the vote scheduled for June 2.
The parties have been running an unofficial campaign for weeks, with two of the three major parties launching their platforms.
Polls to date have shown that progressive conservatives are ready for re-election, with third liberals potentially ahead of the NDP to form the official opposition.
But NDP leader Andrea Horvat said on Tuesday that her party was the best bet for what she called “job number one” – defeating Ford’s progressive conservatives.
At an event in Toronto, Horvath noted that her party formed the official opposition in the legislature in 2018, while the Liberals entered the race this time with only seven seats.
She also highlighted her party’s promises in the OHIP mental health coverage platform, hiring more health workers and providing more affordable housing as priorities for the upcoming campaign.
“We know that the things that are most important to people can be addressed if we come together this time and make sure that Doug Ford is defeated by voting for the NDP,” she said.
Liberal leader Stephen Del Duca said Ford and Horvath “seem to be on the same page”, with both targeting him, including any party that advertised against Del Duca last year.
“I understand that they will continue to focus on me … I will focus on the 15 million people who call this province home, and what they need, what they are looking for and what they are hoping for when we leave this pandemic, for a quality of life that I think they deserve, “Del Duca said.
The Ontario election is encouraging residents to vote earlier this year in hopes of diluting crowds in polling stations amid the pandemic.
When voters show up on election day, they will see floor signs for physical distancing, plexiglass screens, hand sanitizers and masks – no face covers required by voters or staff, but will be delivered to those who want them.
But for those who want to avoid this, there will be 10 days in advance instead of five, and Elections Ontario has a new online process for applying by mail.
Elections Ontario has also launched a new app that will allow voters to map their polling stations, see information about candidates, options for voting methods and receive notifications when a new candidate registers. It also provides an electronic version of the voter information card, complete with a barcode.
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