ELECTORAL REFORM - BC's REFEREnDUm 2018
How exactly does our electoral system work?
- A riding is a geographical area represented by an elected representative (also known as an electoral district or constituency). There are currently 338 federal ridings and each is represented by one Member of Parliament.
- British Columbia is divided up into 87 ridings, which are defined geographic areas.
- Canada uses a system called First-Past-The-Post. Voters are allowed to choose one candidate/party on their ballot and the candidate who has the greatest number of votes becomes the elected representative.
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WHICH SYSTEM IS BEST?
First Past the Post or Promotional Representation -BC referendum 2018
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Justin Trudeau had promised that the federal election in 2015 would be the last conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.
In BC's referendum, voters will:
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FIRST vote for either First-Past-The-Post or Proportional Representation.
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SECOND, voters will rank three different systems of proportional representation.
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https://elections.bc.ca/referendum/
What is First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)?
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First-past-the-post = Winner takes all
• Voting system to elect governments or members of parliament. • Used in Canada. United Kingdom, United States and India. • Voters can only choose 1 candidate on their ballot. • 1 candidate is elected per riding • The candidate with the most votes in their riding wins - Winner takes all. Example: In a riding with 100 ballots cast Julie (Red Party). 32 Jack (Yellow Party) 18 Emma (Bleu Party). 20 Thomas (Green Party). 30 • Here Julie wins even though 60% of the voters chose other candidates. • Under FPTP it is not necessary to win more than 50% fo the votes - a candidate simply needs to win the most votes. • The candidate who gets the most votes from people, wins the race to be elected to a seat in parliament. |
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PROS with First-Past-The-Post:
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CONS with First-Past-The-Post
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Other problems with First-Past-The-Post:
FALSE MAJORITIES:
• In British Columbia, since 1956, 88% of so-called “majority” governments have been “false” majorities. The party won the election but didn’t receive a majority of votes. This is the norm with the FPTP voting system when multiple parties run against each other for a single seat. Other recent examples of this (false majorities) include the Stephen Harper Conservative Federal Government of 2011, the Justin Trudeau Liberal Federal Government of 2015, the Rachel Notley New Democratic Alberta Government of 2015 as well as the Doug Ford Conservative Ontario Government of 2018.
STRATEGIC VOTING:
• Strategic voting is unique to the FPTP voting systems. In every election, rather than voting for the policies they like, large numbers of people vote “strategically” to try and avoid electing their least favourite candidate.
• In British Columbia, since 1956, 88% of so-called “majority” governments have been “false” majorities. The party won the election but didn’t receive a majority of votes. This is the norm with the FPTP voting system when multiple parties run against each other for a single seat. Other recent examples of this (false majorities) include the Stephen Harper Conservative Federal Government of 2011, the Justin Trudeau Liberal Federal Government of 2015, the Rachel Notley New Democratic Alberta Government of 2015 as well as the Doug Ford Conservative Ontario Government of 2018.
STRATEGIC VOTING:
• Strategic voting is unique to the FPTP voting systems. In every election, rather than voting for the policies they like, large numbers of people vote “strategically” to try and avoid electing their least favourite candidate.
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What is proportional representation?:
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Proportional representation (votes = seats)
• Voting system to elect governments or members of parliament. • Each party gets the number of seats in the parliament according to the number of votes. • # votes = # seats For example: a political party that wins 10% of the vote, will win 10% of the seats in parliament and a party that wins 20% of the vote, will win 20% of the seats. • Every vote is important, as it counts • Proportional Representation reflects voter perferences. • There is more choice in this system. |
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PROS of Proportional Representation:
• It allows different voices to be heard. • It provides a system of true representation. # votes = #seats • It reduces the idea of a wasted vote. • It conforms to what the rest of the world is doing. • It reduces the effects of extremism in politics. • It encourages a coalition government and diversity in opinions to be heard. • It allows for multiple candidate preferences. |
CONS of Proportional Representation:
• Can make things easier for extreme parties to gain representation. • It can create political gridlock: Creates a system of government that tends to be indecisive and weak because everyone argues for their own best interests. • It can be an unstable form of government. Having more voices can be a good thing, but it can also create a discord that makes it impossible to government. • It is not always wise to compromise. There are times when a strong majority in the government is required to push through needed reforms. |
https://vittana.org/12-proportional-representation-pros-and-cons
The 3 different Proportional Systems to choose from:
Dual Member Proportional (DMP)
• Two candidates in each riding.
• Voters vote for a pair of candidates (there are two names) • The first seat in a district is won by the candidate with the most votes. (what we have now) • The second seat is won by a party based on its share of the popular vote province-wide and their performance in each district. (proportional part) |
Mixed member proportional (MMP)
• 1 Ballot but 2 votes.
• Electing a mix of local and regional MLAs in each region on the province. • Invented in Germany, also used in New Zealand, Wales and Scotland • Voters elect two types of MLAs: a mix of local (what we have now) and regional (proportional part) |
Rural-Urban Proportional (RUP)
• Multi-member ridings in urban areas and a mix of local and regional MLAs in rural areas.
• Allows for 1 local MLA (what we have now) plus a team of regional leaders. • Parties can run multiple candidates in a district and voters rank their preferred candidates on the ballot (1, 2, 3, etc.). |
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Do you think electoral reform is important for our democracy?
Which system should we use for provincial elections - First-Past-The-Post or Proportional Representation?
Which system should we use for provincial elections - First-Past-The-Post or Proportional Representation?