A lack of understanding could play a huge role in the province’s on-going electoral reform referendum.
Many British Columbians have issued concerns over the complexity of the proposed proportional representation system, which has become a main selling point for proponents of the current system.
With the current first-past-the-post system, a voter selects a single candidate in their riding and the person with the most votes gets elected.
This, in turn, leads to the party with the most elected candidates holding 100 percent of the power, leading to more easily formed majority parties.
Under a proportional representation system, the power would be split amongst all parties who receive at least 5 percent of the vote.
This leads to a wider range of representation, and smaller, fringer parties holding more power, but also makes a majority government nearly impossible.
This month’s referencum features 3 proportional representation options, as well as the option to keep the current system.
Completed voter packages must be returned by November 30th to have your vote heard.
