Referendum on Electoral Reform
In the BC provincial election on May 17, 2005, voters will not only be choosing their MLAs, they will also be choosing an electoral system for the province.[
A second ballot will be given to BC voters for the referendum on electoral reform asking the question:
"Should British Columbia change to the BC-STV electoral system as recommended by the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform?"
BC Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform was set up by the British Columbia provincial government in 2003 to study and assess electoral systems used in jurisdictions around the world, and to recommend whether to keep the current method of electing BC members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) or adopt another electoral system. The recommendation from the Citizens' Assembly is to be decided by a referendum, rather than by the government.
The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform had 161 members - two randomly selected citizens from each of the 79 electoral districts in British Columbia, two randomly selected First Nations members, and a chairperson.
The Citizens' Assembly spent 11 months in 2004 on their task, and in December 2004 recommended that British Columbia adopt a form of the single transferable vote electoral system, which they called BC-STV.
BC-STV
The current electoral system used in British Columbia provincial elections is the first past the post (FPTP) or single member plurality system. FPTP is also used in Canadian federal elections and in elections in the other provinces in Canada. In a first past the post electoral system, voters vote for one candidate in each electoral district, and the candidate who gets the most votes in an electoral district becomes the member for that electoral district.
With The BC-STV system, the total number of MLAs for the province would stay the same. There would be fewer electoral districts in the province, however voters could elect more than one member in an electoral district. Instead of marking a ballot for a single candidate, the voter would number preferences for as many candidates as he or she wished. An electoral quota would be calculated to determine the number of votes needed to win in each electoral district and the second, third and additional preferences of voters would be transferred to decide who is elected.
Although it sounds complicated, the Citizens' Assembly recommended the BC-STV system for three reasons:
- it would produce results that would make the number of seats won by a political party closer to the party's share of the overall popular vote
- it would provide local representation where MLAs would continue to represent communities or regions
- it would increase voter choice, and power, by having more options on the ballot.
The BC Electoral Reform Referendum Information Office provides a Comparison Table of FPTP and BC-STV electoral systems.
Voting in the BC Referendum on Electoral Reform
Voting in the BC referendum on electoral reform takes place at the same time and place as the 2005 BC provincial election on May 17, 2005. To vote in the referendum, you must be eligible to vote in a BC provincial election and you must be registered to vote.
You do not have to vote in the provincial election to vote in the referendum on electoral reform. Eligible voters can choose to vote in either the referendum or the election, or in both.
How the BC Referendum on Electoral Reform Will Be Decided
For the BC referendum on electoral reform to pass and be considered binding on the BC provincial government, the approval level must be
- at least 60 percent of the total votes in the province and
- more than 50 percent of the votes in at least 48 of the 79 electoral districts in British Columbia.
If the referendum on electoral reform passes, the current British Columbia provincial government has promised to introduce legislation to put the new electoral system in place in time for the British Columbia provincial election scheduled for May 2009.
