2003 New Democratic Party leadership election
The 2003 New Democratic Party leadership election was held to replace New Democratic Party of Canada leader Alexa McDonough, after her retirement. It ended on January 25, 2003, with the first ballot victory of popular Toronto city councillor Jack Layton.
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| Date | January 24, 2003 |
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| Convention | Ricoh Coliseum, Exhibition Place Toronto, Ontario |
| Resigning leader | Alexa McDonough |
| Won by | Jack Layton |
| Ballots | 1 |
| Candidates | 6 |
| Entrance Fee | $7,500 |
| Spending limit | $500,000 |
The election was the first to be conducted under the NDP's new partial one member, one vote system, in which the popular vote of the members is weighted for 75% of the result. The rest are votes cast by delegates for affiliated organizations (mainly labour unions). It was also the first Canadian leadership convention to allow Internet voting; delegates who chose to vote electronically were given a password to a secure website to register their votes.
The race was heated, with the leaders campaigning to NDP audiences across Canada. One of the most notable events of the campaign occurred at the convention in Toronto, the day before the election, when candidate Pierre Ducasse made a stirring speech. Ducasse's speech attracted widespread praise, although its late delivery was unable to sway the postal and internet votes which had already been cast.