Province looks at a spring election in 2018

TORONTO - Ontario is moving to set its next provincial election date for June 7th, 2018.

The election is currently set for the fall of 2018, but the Liberal government wants to avoid conflict with the next municipal elections, which are set for October of that year.

Attorney General Yasir Naqvi is introducing legislation today to not only change the election date, but also to allow youth to pre-register to vote and allow votes to be counted electronically.

The bill would allow for the use of electronic vote tabulators -- which were used in this year's Whitby-Oshawa byelection -- instead of having votes counted by hand.

Ontarians who are 16 or 17 years old would be able to pre-register to vote once they turn 18, which the Liberals hope will encourage more young people to vote.

If passed, the legislation could also lead to the creation of new northern ridings

It would establish a Far North Electoral Boundaries Commission to review whether the areas of Kenora-Rainy River and Timmins-James Bay should have another new riding or two.