Stick with the status quo, or pick a different voting system altogether?

A ballot with that question will likely hit British ColumbiansB次元官网网址� mailboxes by the end of the year, after the NDP government recommended four options to consider as part of its electoral reform platform: the current system B次元官网网址� known as first-past-the-post B次元官网网址� or not one, but three versions of proportional representation.

ItB次元官网网址檚 tough for even seasoned political observers to navigate.

Greg Millard, a political science professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, said people shouldnB次元官网网址檛 concentrate so much on the complexities of each system, but on how each one can affect their voice and what matters to them.

B次元官网网址淎re you really worried and bothered by the fact you can get a party with 40 per cent of the popular vote that ends up with 60 per cent of the seats in the legislature, and has complete control of the government even though majority of citizens didnB次元官网网址檛 vote for it?B次元官网网址� Millard said.

B次元官网网址淗ow troubled are you by the fact small parties can be way underrepresented in the legislature relative to their popular vote? If youB次元官网网址檙e really bothered by that, then you should seriously look at voting for electoral reform.B次元官网网址�

Proportional representation equalizes the stake each political party can claim, based on the number of ballots, Millard said.

Under the current first-past-the-post system, you donB次元官网网址檛 need a majority number of votes B次元官网网址� or more than 50 per cent B次元官网网址� to win. You just need more votes than the other candidates.

B次元官网网址淪o you can win a riding with 30 per cent if all the other candidates divide that support so they have less than 30 per cent,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he result, though, is that 70 per cent of the riding didnB次元官网网址檛 vote for you, and that creates some distortions once you start to aggregate all the ridings together in the legislature.B次元官网网址�

Under proportional representation, he said, the number of MLAs representing a party with a seat in the legislature would more equally represent the popular vote.

Millard said British Columbians also need to ask themselves how they feel about minority governments.

B次元官网网址淧roportional systems will almost always produce minority governments,B次元官网网址� he said, which leads to coalitions as different parties cooperate to form government.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a big change, and a change under the current configuration would probably empower certain parties more than others.B次元官网网址�

As a result, minority governments may water down their priorities, he said, and take too long to get things done. On the other hand, different parties can be forced to cooperate to create policies and reform.

Either way, he said, when the ballot arrives, itB次元官网网址檚 best to take the time and vote.

B次元官网网址淭his is a pretty technical question that does tend to discourage people who arenB次元官网网址檛 already committed one way or another, but it is important,B次元官网网址� Millard said. B次元官网网址淭he electoral system is the mechanism whereby we translate voter preference into seats in the legislatureB次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淪taying home or failing to mail your ballot simply surrenders your say over the shape of our future elections.B次元官网网址�

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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