Between October 22 and November 30, residents in B.C. will receive a postal ballot asking them what their decisions are on electoral reform.
Voters will determine what electoral system should be used to determine election results between the current first past the post (FPTP) system or proportional representation (PR). On the same ballot, they will decide which type of proportional voting system should be used if proportional representation is chosen. These options include dual-member proportional representation, mixed-member proportional representation, and rural-urban proportional representation. All three begin with a FPTP vote, electing representatives from the regions across the province, explained local group leader for the Columbia River Valley North, Amber van Drielen, from Fair Vote Canada.
Dual-member representation elects two representatives from each region. The first seat in every district is given to the candidate with the most votes, and a second seat is given to the next candidate to ensure proportionality is achieved. It is then calculated to award parties their seats in districts where they had strongest performances.
Mixed-member representation gives voters one vote to decide the representative for the constituency, and one for a political party.
Rural-urban representation was designed by Fair Vote Canada, and asks voters to rank who they would like elected.
Fair Vote Canada is a non-profit, multi-partisan organization that promotes electoral reform in Canada.
“Over the last 10 to 20 years, there has been increasing grassroots activism with people who aren’t really happy with how our voting system is working, and the outcomes that we’re getting from it,” van Drielen said.
In the current first past the post electoral system Canada and the provinces use, van Drielen said that there are some major issues that arise.
“One of the problems is we get false majorities. A false majority is a government that has all the power in the house or the legislature without having over 50 per cent of the voter support,” she said, adding that this issue can lead to people placing their votes strategically instead of voting for the candidate they feel is the best representative. “Strategic voting is very annoying for many people.”
Following the 2015 election, the attorney general compiled a report that shows 46 per cent of people that voted had voted strategically. Voters do this for many reasons, including forcing a change in government, and trying to sway majorities.
Earlier in the year, a survey went out to B.C. residents, and the attorney general’s report was compiled from the results. It showed that residents want proportionality, local representation, they want things to be simple, and they do not want any increase to the size of the legislative assembly. The attorney general then made four mandatory criteria, stating that there may be only a modest increase to the number of MLAs, allowing only eight extra seats on top of the already 87 MLAs. He has also mandated that no region in the province will have less MLAs than it already does. Another criteria imposes a threshold that states a party must have at least five per cent of the vote to get a seat.
“Generally for the public, they like to feel that you’re not having some wing nut getting on per cent and then getting elected,” van Drielen said.
More than 80 countries use proportional representation for elections. Proportional representation means that the percentage of votes for a candidate translates into the percentage of seats they receive in the legislature. More information about the electoral reform referendum is available at www.elections.bc.ca/referendum.
Glen Ewan is hosting an interactive presentation and question and answer period in advance of October’s referendum on electoral reform on Tuesday, October 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the College of the Rockies, 1305 9th Street S. The free presentation is organized by Fair Vote Canada BC.
