Fairvote Canada

What is a writ and why do you never drop it? While “dropping the writ” is a phase commonly used in Ontario and Canadian media to refer to an election, according to TVO’s Steve Paikin in this Nerds on Politics explainer, you “draw up” the writs.

In a provincial election, the premier asks the lieutenant governor to dissolve the legislature so a new campaign can begin. The lieutenant governor then takes a writ – essentially a document – from each riding in the province and signs them. So nobody drops a writ.

The same is the case in Canadian federal elections when a prime minister asks the governor general to dissolve the parliament in Ottawa. The governor general will sign – or draw up -- writs for all federal constituencies.

During this crash course in Ontario and Canadian electoral politics, Steve explains why he thinks this distinction matters, tells a dad joke, and listens to a producer use the f-bomb.

This video is a good primer for anyone interested in learning about political history, Ontario elections, Ontario politics and government, and politics and government in other Canadian provinces or at the federal level in Canada.