The Ontario None of the Above Party (NOTA) nominates Above Znoneofthe as candidate for the June 1, 2017, Sault Ste. Marie provincial by-election, registers all 122 riding associations (RAs), and announces candidate nominations closing for the 2018 Ontario election.
The NOTA Party campaigns for the 3Rs of Direct Democracy; Referendum, Recall and Real electoral and legislative Reforms that give voters control of politicians and parties. Candidates are accountable to their constituents and there are no central party policies or controls of elected MPPs beyond the binding Direct Democracy principles.
With Elections Ontario approving the 2016 annual returns for all 122 RAs, would-be candidates for the 2018 Ontario election are asked to go to www.nota.ca and submit a resume for contested ridings by June 15, 2017, and in other ridings by June 30, 2017.
“There is another option for people who want a choice other than to vote for any of the big party candidates or to give up their right to cast a secret ballot by having to publically decline their ballots, a choice that makes their vote count for real change,” said Sault Ste. Marie by-election candidate Above Znoneofthe.
None of the Above is part of a worldwide movement of new and independent parties and candidates campaigning for direct democracy and voter empowerment policies supported by voters and non-voters alike.
In the recent French Presidential runoff election the combination of declined, spoiled and abstained ballots finished second overall with one in three votes, and over 40 percent of voters supporting an official option to decline on the ballot itself.
“The major parties have rigged the rules for $millions in campaign and vote subsidies in their favour, but if just five percent in this by-election and two percent of people in the 2018 election voted for NOTA Party candidates, we would qualify for some basic subsidies that would allow us to grow and bring about the positive change we need,” said None of the Above Party leader Greg Vezina.
“Talk about every vote counting, people in Ontario finally get to vote their principles and have it matter,” Vezina said.
[source: https://saultonline.com/2017/05/none-of-the-above-party-running-in-the-sault-by-election/]