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In April, an independent assembly of citizens set up by the Ontario government voted overwhelmingly to have a referendum on replacing the current first-past-the-post election system with a "made-in-Ontario" proportional representation system modelled on those used in Germany and New Zealand.

The referendum — the first in Ontario since 1924 — asks the electorate to choose between the status quo and a new system called mixed member proportional representation (MMP).

The MMP system — which the citizens' assembly recommended after seven months of study and consultation — would ensure that each party's share of seats in the legislature would be roughly equal to its share of the popular vote.

To be approved in this referendum, the new system must get the support of at least 60 per cent of voters province-wide, and it must also be approved by the majority of electors in at least 60 per cent of all ridings — a high threshold criticized by proponents of MMP who argue the vote is stacked against reform.

So how exactly will the referendum work? What are the other groundrules and requirements?

We are very pleased that Ontario Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Loren A. Wells was online now earlier today to answer those questions.

Your questions and Ms. Wells's answers appear at the bottom of this page.

Loren Wells, the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario, has an extensive background in election administration in Canada, at both the federal and provincial levels.

At Elections Ontario, she deputizes for the Chief Electoral Officer and assists him with the administration of all aspects of the electoral process, including voter registration, the conduct of voting, the training of election officials and providing voter education and information to the public.

Although this is the first province-wide referendum that Ms. Wells has worked on in Ontario, she has been involved in the administration of 10 provincial general elections.

Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and allow or reject each question. Questions may be edited for length, clarity or relevance. HTML is not allowed. We will not publish questions that include personal attacks on participants in these discussions, that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or questions that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit questions/comments using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.

Jim Sheppard, Executive Editor, globeandmail.com: To our readers: May I also just add these words of explanation and caution. By law, neither Ms. Wells nor other employees of Elections Ontario can take a position on the merits of the question on the referendum ballot. We will not forward to her any question that asks her to do that. Ms. Wells can answer your questions about the background to the referendum, the question, the mechanics of voting on it, the requirements for passage etc.

Jim Sheppard, Executive Editor, globeandmail.com: Good afternoon, Ms. Wells, and thanks for joining us today to take questions from the readers of globeandmail.com.

Before we get to the reader questions, perhaps you can start by elaborating on how this referendum question got on the ballot in the first place?

Loren Wells, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer: Thank you very much for inviting me to be part of this discussion today.

In June 2005, the Ontario Legislative Assembly began a process to review electoral systems.

In March 2006, the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform was created. The Citizens' Assembly was an independent body and its members were selected randomly, one from each of Ontario's then-103 electoral districts, with an appointed Chair who was the 104th member.

It was the Assembly's mandate to examine and evaluate Ontario's current electoral system, First-Past-the-Post, as well as numerous different electoral systems and to recommend whether the people of Ontario might wish to consider an alternative electoral system.

The work of the Assembly began in September, 2006. If they made such a recommendation, a referendum was to follow.

On May 15, 2007, the Citizens' Assembly presented a final report, recommending that the people of Ontario consider the adoption of an alternative electoral system, Mixed Member Proportional.

The MMP system proposed by the Citizens' Assembly is similar to the electoral system in use in places such as Scotland and New Zealand.

The recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly has resulted in the Oct. 10 referendum on electoral reform.

John Robertson, Sarnia, Ont.: What is required for the MMP system to be approved? A straight majority across the province? I've heard it's more complicated than that. And, is there a separate ballot for this?

Loren Wells: When you go to vote, you will be given two ballots — one to vote for a candidate in the general election and one to vote for an electoral system in the referendum.

In order for the result of the referendum to be binding, that is for MMP to be adopted, the MMP option on the ballot must receive at least 60 per cent of the total valid referendum ballots cast across the province and it must receive more than 50 per cent of the valid referendum ballots cast in each of at least 64 electoral districts. These requirements are in the Electoral System Referendum Act, 2007.

Roland Tanner, Burlington, Ont., submitted this question to an earlier article about the referendum:

"It's really worrying how little interest the referendum is creating, and how ill-informed or apathetic the electorate is likely to be. This is a really important vote . . . "

[What steps are you taking to inform the electorate]?

Loren Wells: Since we received the wording of the referendum question on June 20, we launched our website (www.yourbigdecision.ca) on June 28 and substantially enhanced it on Aug. 1 and again on Aug. 13 when we released an interactive explanatory video.

The site is averaging more than 14,000 visits a day this week and our video has been viewed more than 41,000 times. Our toll-free call centre (1-888-ONT-VOTE) is handling more than 1,000 calls a day.

A referendum brochure was delivered to 4.8 million households in the first week of September and 8.6 million registered electors received a referendum brochure with their Notice of Registration Card.

TV advertising started on Sept. 3 and increases in intensity through to Oct. 9. Print advertising started appearing in daily and community newspapers on Sept. 14.

A new flight of radio advertising starts on Oct. 10 and will run through to Election and Referendum Day and another information brochure will be delivered to all 4.8 million households, starting on Oct. 3.

A full-page advertisement describing the two systems will be in all daily papers on Oct. 10.

Large posters describing the two systems are also provided in each of the advance poll locations which are now open until Oct. 4.

We have extensive Web-based advertising that will build to a take-over of some sites between Oct. 8-10.

We also have held almost 2,000 community-based information sessions with groups of three to 500 electors and plan more than 1,500 more before Oct. 10.

Anais L.: I believe Elections Ontario has failed in its mission.

The fact that the Elections Ontario employees cannot even comment on anything except the background or the mechanics of the referendum is, in fact, a strong anti-MMP position.

Why? Because based on the mechanism alone, why would anyone choose a system that is slightly more complicated?

Nobody will pick MMP based on the info from Elections Ontario alone. It just wouldn't make sense, unless they understand the problems of the current system and the way that the new system will solve these problems.

No funding for either NO MMP or Vote For MMP guarantees that the public is not educated on this subject . . .

So, I'd like to know, what is the mission of Election Ontario regarding this referendum?

Loren Wells: The role of Elections Ontario is provided in two pieces of legislation: the Electoral System Referendum Act, 2007 and the Election Act.

The Electoral System Referendum Act, 2007 allows us to adapt the Election Act to the voting process in the referendum.

For example, this would be for the printing of ballots, the voting process itself and the counting. It also requires us to be responsible for the registration of registered referendum campaign organizers which are groups or individuals who will spend $500 or more on referendum advertising, to promote one of the choices in the referendum.

An amendment to the Election Act gave us responsibility for a program of neutral public education so that electors throughout Ontario would receive clear and impartial information about the referendum process.

We are to provide information on the referendum process, the date of the referendum, the referendum question and the content of the choices in the referendum.

A. Goss, Owen Sound, Ont.: Why did Elections Ontario make the decision to stop the publication of the Citizen's Assembly pamphlet "One Ballot Two Votes?"

We are being asked to vote for either an existing system or the one recommended by the Citizen's Assembly.

Most of us are familiar with the existing system. We use it in every election. But hardly anyone, before this proposal, was aware of the details of the Citizens' Assembly recommendation for Mixed Member Proportional.

This pamphlet was an excellent description of their proposal and should have been part of the information campaign.

Advertisements in newspapers and television showing confused and uninformed people don't inform us of the two sides to this referendum, even if it does persuade people to become informed.

Loren Wells: The Democratic Renewal Secretariat within the Government of Ontario facilitated the printing and distribution of the Citizens Assembly publications.

This was not a responsibility of Elections Ontario.

We understand that individual copies of the Citizens' Assembly materials have been made available through the Ontario Government outlet, Publications Ontario.

Sally Black, Toronto: How much is the referendum going to cost us?

Loren Wells: The referendum on electoral reform is being held in conjunction with the 2007 General Election.

In July 2007, the Chief Electoral Officer published a document entitled "Projected Costs for the 2007 Provincial General Election and Referendum." This document is available on the Elections Ontario website at www.elections.on.ca

In the document, the amount attributed directly to the administration of the referendum was $1,651,000.

This amount covers costs such as $1,400,000 for ballot paper and the printing of the ballots, as well as $130,000 for templates with Braille and cut-outs to be used at the 29,000 polling places across Ontario for electors who are blind or with low vision.

Another amount of $6,800,000 was attributed to referendum education. This includes householders (brochures) delivered twice to 4,800,000 homes across Ontario; a referendum brochure individually addressed to each elector; outreach to schools and post-secondary educational institutions; website development; advertising on the Internet, in newspapers, on the radio and on television.

It also provides funding for the 107 Referendum Resource Officers working across Ontario who will have made presentations to more than 3,000 community groups by Election and Referendum Day, Oct. 10.

Joe Ontario: [If the MMP system is approved and] adds 20 some odd politicians and their support staff, pensions etc., what is this reform going to cost the Ontario taxpayer?

Loren Wells: If the people of Ontario choose Mixed Member Proportional in the referendum, the government that is formed as a result of the general election on Oct. 10 would be required to introduce legislation before Dec. 31, 2008, to adopt this as Ontario's electoral system.

The costs would be reflected in the scope of the changes incorporated in this legislation.

Carl Maiolani: [If the MMP system is approved] how will the public find out who is on the various parties' lists [outside of the candidates in riding]?

Loren Wells: Before an election, parties would nominate candidates as "List Members" and describe how they were chosen.

Elections Ontario would be required to publish the lists and the description of the processes used by the parties, well before the election.

Josee Dorsch, Deep River, Ont.: As a voting citizen of Ontario, I am concerned about the ridings being enlarged.

I live in Eastern Ontario north of Algonquin Park and I feel that we are being reduced in voice by the increased area. It seems that we are always at the mercy of Toronto.

If this new MPP system is enacted, what would prevent parties from stacking their seats with more Toronto MPPs?

Loren Wells: The Citizens' Assembly proposed that the political parties would provide the names of the list candidates and details of the selection process to Elections Ontario before the election.

Once published, electors would be able to make a decision based on their views and priorities.

Simeon McKay, Ottawa: This is great. Kudos to The Globe and Mail for one of the most long-term and balanced approaches to the referendum of the major newspapers in Ontario. And thanks to Elections Ontario for dedicating so much time to helping us understand the question we are being asked.

My question relates to party lists. There are a lot of people who say that introducing party lists will mean that politicians and political leaders will get more power and they can appoint whoever they want to the list.

Is this the case under MMP? How will list candidates be selected? Who gets a say in this? When will parties submit their lists to Elections Ontario? If someone runs in a riding and loses, can they be added to the list after the election and still get a seat?

What is the experience in other countries? Do leaders stack the lists with their cronies? Are list members really a different class of politicians or will they also do work in constituencies?

Loren Wells: The Citizens' Assembly proposed that the political parties would provide the names of the list candidates and details of the selection process to Elections Ontario before the election.

The Assembly's MMP system does allow for "dual candidacy." This means that candidates can run locally, be on a party list, or both.

The Citizens' Assembly proposal does not contain a recommendation to allow people to be added to the list after the election.

We have links to information about processes in other countries on our website www.yourbigdecision.ca

Rebekah Williams: Loren, I was wondering if you could give a message to college students in regards to the referendum and what it means to them?

Loren Wells: This is a big decision that affects all of us and it's a decision that affects everyone's future.

In order to ensure that students have the information they need, we will be distributing referendum information on college and university campuses on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3.

We also encourage students to visit our website or call our call centre at 1-888-ONT-VOTE if they wish more information.

Ian Richard, Ottawa: If this new MPP system is adopted, about 70% of the seats would be regional (FPTP) and 30% would be proportional. If the system succeeds, what are the chances that that ratio will change in the future?

Loren Wells: This referendum and our education program is based on the current system and the alternative system proposed by the Citizens' Assembly.

Any future changes to our electoral system would be a decision of future governments.

Leslie Graham: Can you tell us what is the exact ballot question?

Loren Wells: The question on the referendum ballot will appear in English and French. The English wording is as follows:

"Which electoral system should Ontario use to elect members to the provincial legislature?

* The existing electoral system (First-Past-the-Post)

* The alternative electoral system proposed by the Citizens' Assembly (Mixed Member Proportional)"

Shelley Brown, Windsor, Ont: What time will we get the results of the referendum on Oct. 10? Or will the referendum results be counted at a later date?

Loren Wells: On election and referendum night, Oct. 10, ballots will be counted by 60,000 poll officials in more than 29,000 separate polling places in the province's 107 electoral districts.

According to the Electoral System Referendum Act, 2007, the election ballots must be counted first and the election results reported by the poll officials before they can start counting the referendum ballots.

Polling places will be open until 9 p.m. We therefore expect to see referendum results coming in from individual polling places, starting around 10:30 p.m. These are unofficial results.

It will be into the morning of Oct. 11 before all of these unofficial results have been reported and a calculation made to determine if the alternative system received at least 60 per cent of the valid referendum votes cast across Ontario and at least 50 per cent of the valid votes cast in at least 64 electoral districts.

Jim Sheppard, Executive Editor, globeandmail.com: Ms. Wells, thanks again for taking so much time today to answer questions from our readers. I'm sure they appreciated your insight into this important issue.

Any last thoughts or comments? Anything you weren't asked but wanted to explain?

Loren Wells, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer: We hope that anyone who wishes additional information will review the information in our newspaper advertising, in the brochures sent to their homes and would encourage them to visit www.yourbigdecision.ca or to call us at 1-888-ONT-VOTE. After all, it's a big decision!

Thank you so much for providing me with this opportunity to supplement our education program and deliver it to the 8.6 million electors in our province.