Mayor of Toronto John Tory faces a turbulent election season

Image copyright HANK JOHNSON/OPB Image caption Ford entered politics in the Toronto district of Etobicoke in 2010

Toronto Mayor John Tory is fighting for his political future and his future with the citizens of the city he leads.

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly had announced on Tuesday he would “vigorously contest” a city council vote on whether he should be replaced by Mr Tory.

Mr Tory, too, has said he will fight to keep his job.

The officials in charge of selecting the city’s next mayor will meet on Friday to settle on a date for the vote – but the contenders appear clear.

What is clear is that Mr Tory must win.

Mr Kelly and Giorgio Mammoliti, a long-time member of council and once named by Mr Tory as the best shot at defeating him, have both announced their resignations.

If Mr Kelly wins the vote, he will serve until 2019, the last full year of the mayor’s term. Mr Tory will serve until 2018.

But if he loses the vote on Friday, the mayor will resign.

Source: CBC

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The Telegraph says around 100 people have reportedly registered to vote as part of the attempt to boost Mr Kelly’s chances of winning.

“We can’t have a secret ballot. That’d be very dangerous,” said the boss of Toronto City Clerk Karen Stintz’s office.

Mr Kelly supporters tell the BBC that the special ballot will cost the city “well into millions of dollars”.

But what the vote could cost Mr Tory is his job as Toronto’s mayor.

What is being debated in Toronto

Where is the process

Image copyright HO/HINKLEY/BBC Image caption Protestors clash with police

The role of council. The two candidates must be eliminated in a series of two-minute verbal debates in the City Hall atrium.

The candidates must then raise their hands to show whom they would want to support. The elected official standing nearest the ballot will then vote for that candidate.

If no candidate has a majority of the “yes” votes cast, they will return to the City Hall atrium to declare: “Result: Campaign is suspended. Now is the time to unite behind our candidate, in the strongest possible terms.”

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