Many writs, no 'dropping': What the election call actually means

The federal election has started. We know it has because the writ has "dropped."

Nothing has actually dropped, of course and there's alot more than just a single writ involved.

In fact, writs are drawnupfor each of the country's 338 ridings for a federal election.A writ is a formal written order instructing the returning officer in a single electoral district to hold an election to select a member of Parliament. It specifies the day the names of the candidates must be officially recordedand sets a polling date.

Thatwork started Wednesday, when Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau visited Gov. Gen.Julie Payetteand asked her todissolve Parliament. The move clears Election Canada's chief electoral officer to startissuingwrits.

Despite its inaccuracy, the"writ drop" expressionhas long been used to mark the start of an election. And it really annoys some people.

David Onley was in charge of signing all the writs when he was Ontario's lieutenantgovernor. He dealt with three provincialelections during his stintand the term "writ drop" came up each time. He hates it.

"I believe in precision of thought," he said. "If it's a fist fight, it's not a water pistol squirting contest."

Onleysaid that ifhesaw or heard the phrase in the news, he would contact the reporter and ask them to reconsider using it. He prefers a more specific term: "drawing up the writ."

"No lieutenantgovernor or governor general would ever drop a writ," he said.

Writs date back to pre-Confederation

The term'sorigins aremurky. Some believe it'sa contraction of the longer (and more accurate)"drawing up the writ." According to the CBC's archives, references to "writdrops"started showing up in national newspapers in the early1980s.

The writ itself hasbeen used in Canada since before Confederation, originally representing those serving in theassemblies of Upper and Lower Canada. Library and Archives Canada stores these writs in its collection, along withthousands of writs from pastgeneral elections and by-elections.

Paul Thomas said he believes it's a uniquely Canadian term.

He's asenior research associate with the Samara Centre for Democracy who onceworked in political affairs in the United Kingdom. When he mentioned "writ drops"there, he said, he got blank stares from his colleagues.

"I find it fascinating how the language of politics changes and what is taken for granted in some countries has no knowledge in others," he said. "You assume they function in the same way."

So what's changed?

Even though parties have been campaigning for months now, Thomas said he considers the issuing of the writs to be the "starter's pistol for the election." And that means revised rules.

With writs issued, parties haveto start tracking their expenses for the election periodand make sure they don't exceed the limits. If a partyruns candidates in all 338 ridings, the maximum amount itcan spend is around $28 million.

There aredifferent limits for individualcandidates in each riding, calculated according tothenumber of voters on the electors' list and the size of the riding in question.Trudeau, for example,will get to spend an estimated$83,944.33 in his Papineau riding, while Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer gets to spend amore modest$56,236.55 in hisReginaQu'Appelleriding.

Parties no longer have to give a heads-up to Elections Canada when they are throwing afundraising event. Outside of an election, they need to give five days' notice.

And during the writ period, nocandidate is allowed to attendcitizenship ceremonies as guests or speakers,to avoid politicizing the process.

Despite his best efforts to curb talk of dropping writs, Onleysaid he expects the term to play a prominent role in election coverage once again.

"I know it's a hopeless cause," he said. "But like Don Quixote, I'll just keep tilting at the windmill."