2018 British Columbia electoral reform referendum

Last updated

2018 British Columbia electoral reform referendum
Flag of British Columbia.svg
October 22 – December 7, 2018 (2018-10-22 – 2018-12-07)
Which system should British Columbia use for provincial elections?
OutcomeThe current First Past the Post voting system
Results
Choice
Votes %
A proportional representation voting system533,51838.70%
The current First Past the Post voting system845,23561.30%
Valid votes1,378,75399.09%
Invalid or blank votes12,6700.91%
Total votes1,391,423100.00%
Registered voters/turnout3,297,39642.2%
British Columbia Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 - Question 1 Results by Riding.svg
Question 1 results by electoral district
Source: Voting results for the 2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform - Elections BC

A referendum on electoral reform took place by mail-in ballot between October 22 and December 7, 2018, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. 61.3 percent of voters supported maintaining the first-past-the-post voting system rather than switching to a proportional representation voting system, which was supported by 38.7 percent of voters. This was British Columbia's third referendum on electoral reform, following ones in 2005 and 2009.

Contents

Voters were asked two questions: first, what electoral system should be used to determine election results—the existing first-past-the-post (FPTP) system or a proportional representation (PR) system; and second, what type of proportional voting system should be used if PR were chosen. In the second question, voters were asked to rank three proportional representation voting systems: dual-member proportional representation, mixed-member proportional representation, and rural–urban proportional representation.

The referendum fulfilled an election commitment by the British Columbia New Democratic Party (NDP) during the 2017 election. Their platform promised a referendum and that the government would actively campaign for electoral reform. Results were released by Elections BC on December 20, 2018.

Background

BC has a long history of changing its electoral system. For BC's first election in 1871, the majority of ridings were elected using an "at large" system (multi-seat districts using plurality block voting). This is the way city councillors are elected in BC to this day: a voter gets as many votes as there are seats to be filled in the riding. [1] Outside the multi-seat districts, seats were filled through first-past-the-post voting.

Over its history, BC modified its electoral system at least 15 times without a referendum. [1] These reforms usually changed the number of seats or districts, but there have been changes to the voting system used as well. From the start, BC used a mixed system of block voting and FPTP, then it used the alternative voting system (in both single- and multi-seat districts) in the 1952 provincial election, then it reestablished the previous mix of "at-large" (block voting) and first-past-the-post voting. [2] : 81–82  [3] FPTP was brought into use across the province in 1991, after the last "at-large" (multi-member) voting districts were abolished [2] : 76  [4] due to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that found them unconstitutional. [5]

Previous referendums

Before the 2001 provincial election, the BC Liberal Party committed to appoint a Citizens' Assembly to investigate electoral reform, hold consultations, and prepare a report recommending whether a different electoral system should be adopted. [6] The commitment was driven in part by the anomalous provincial election result in 1996, in which the BC New Democratic Party won reelection as a majority government with 39.5% of the vote and 39 seats, despite gaining a 3% smaller share of the popular vote than the Liberals at 41.8%, which translated into 33 Liberal seats. [2] : 90–91  In December 2004, the Assembly released its report recommending that the province adopt BC-STV, a BC-specific variant of the single transferable vote (STV) system. [6] On May 17, 2005, a referendum was held in conjunction with the 2005 general election, in which voters were asked whether the province should adopt the recommendation of the Assembly to replace the first-past-the-post electoral system with BC-STV, or maintain the current system. While 57.7% of the electorate voted in favour of BC-STV, including a majority of voters in 77 of 79 ridings, its support failed to reach the 60% threshold set by the government and it was not adopted. [7]

Following the 2005 referendum, British Columbia held a second referendum on electoral reform in conjunction with the provincial election on May 12, 2009. It was the most recent referendum on electoral reform that has been held in British Columbia. As in 2005, voters in 2009 were asked to provide their opinions on the BC-STV electoral system proposed by the British Columbia Citizen's Assembly on Electoral Reform to ensure more proportional representation in the provincial Legislative Assembly. British Columbians were asked which electoral system should be used to elect legislators: the existing first-past-the-post electoral system or the proposed BC-STV system.

The adoption of BC-STV in the 2009 referendum was defeated, with 60.9% voting against the reform and 39.09% of voters supporting the change. [8]

Intervening federal developments

During the 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada campaigned on the promise that it would be the last federal election under the first-past-the-post electoral system. The party's platform stated that a Liberal government would form an all-party Parliamentary committee, and introduce legislation within 18 months enacting electoral reform. [9] [10] On December 1, 2016, the House of Commons of Canada Special Committee on Electoral Reform released its report recommending Canada hold a referendum to adopt a proportional representation voting system for federal elections. [11] Several months later, the government announced that it was no longer pursuing electoral reform. [12] [13]

Origin of third referendum

During the 2017 provincial election, both the NDP and the Green Party campaigned for PR and included the policy in their election platforms. [14] [15] [16] On May 29, 2017, approximately three weeks after the election resulted in a BC Liberal minority government, the NDP and Green caucuses signed a supply and confidence agreement. [17] The agreement included a section on PR, in which the parties agreed to put the issue to a referendum and that both parties would actively campaign for PR in the referendum. [18] [19] On June 22, 2017, the Liberal government tabled its throne speech, adopting the opposition parties' policy to hold a third referendum on electoral reform. [20] [21] On June 29, 2017, the BC Liberal government was defeated in a confidence vote. Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon then invited the NDP to form a minority government with Green support. [22] On November 30, 2017, the Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Act was passed into law. [23] It required the referendum to be held and authorized Cabinet to make various regulations. [24]

Consultation and implementation

Between November 2017 and February 2018, Attorney General David Eby conducted a public consultation entitled "How We Vote". [25] On May 30, 2018, he released the report on the consultation and recommendations concerning how the referendum process should be conducted. [26] [27] [28] Cabinet accepted the recommendations shortly thereafter, in early June. [29] [30] Later in June, Vote PR BC launched their campaign for proportional representation, canvassing in cities across the province. [31] [32]

Elections BC reviewed the referendum questions in June. On June 18, Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman wrote to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly advising that in his view both questions were simple and clear enough for voters to understand. He also made recommendations for small changes to the questions. [33] [34] On June 22, 2018, the government released the regulations governing the referendum. [35] The regulations adopted the changes to the question proposed by the Chief Electoral Officer, and set down other rules governing the campaign. [36] [37]

ICBA lawsuit

On June 28, 2018, the Independent Contractors and Business Association (ICBA)—a lobby group for the construction industry— filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the referendum, or alternatively, to strike down the campaign financing rules governing the referendum. [38] [39] The lawsuit contains various complaints about the process, the referendum, and the systems on the ballot. [39] In response, NDP MLA Bob D'Eith called the lawsuit an attempt to stop people from having a choice in their electoral system, and said ICBA does not want "ordinary people to have a stronger voice in the elections and I think they're desperate to hang on to the status quo". [40] The Ministry of the Attorney General defended the legislation in court. [41] The official campaign began July 1, 2018. [35]

On July 17, 2018, ICBA's court application for an early trial date was dismissed by Justice Miriam Gropper of the British Columbia Supreme Court, in order to allow the government time to respond. Following the hearing, ICBA's lawyer, Peter Gall, told reporters ICBA would be seeking an interim injunction. [42]

On July 24, ICBA filed an application seeking an interim injunction to halt campaign financing rules and prevent ballots from being counted. The application was heard by Justice Gropper on August 7. In her decision handed down several weeks later, she dismissed the application calling ICBA's allegations about the referendum "rhetoric", "conjecture" and "exaggeration". [43] [44] [45] In mid-September, the ICBA announced that they would be seeking leave to appeal Justice Gropper's ruling on the interim injunction. [46] That same month, the British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union was granted intervenor status by the court, siding against the ICBA. [47]

The appeal of Justice Gropper's judgement concerning the interim injunction was heard on November 2. Justice Fitch of the British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding that there was no merit to the ICBA's argument. [48] [49]

Ballot structure and details

Voters were asked two questions in the referendum. The first revolved around what electoral system should be used to determine election results: the existing first-past-the-post system or a proportional representation system. The second question explored what type of proportional voting system should be used if PR is chosen. This involved voters ranking three proportional representation voting systems: dual-member proportional representation, mixed-member proportional representation, and rural–urban proportional representation. [10] [50] [51]

Proportional voting systems on the ballot

The referendum asked voters to rank three proportional representation voting systems in order of preference. Voters ranked one, two, or all three systems. The three systems were: [26]

Dual-member proportional (DMP)

Dual-member proportional is an electoral system designed to produce proportional election results across a region by electing two representatives in each of the region's districts. [52] [53] The first seat in every district is awarded to the candidate who receives the most votes, similar to first-past-the-post voting. The second seat is awarded to one of the remaining district candidates so that proportionality is achieved across the region, using a calculation that aims to award parties their seats in the districts where they had their strongest performances. [54]

DMP was invented in 2013 by a University of Alberta mathematics student named Sean Graham. [55] The system was intended as a possible replacement for first-past-the-post voting in Canadian national and provincial elections. Whereas campaigns to adopt MMP representation or the single transferable vote had recently been defeated in a number of Canadian provinces (such as the 2005 and 2009 British Columbia referendums, the 2005 Prince Edward Island referendum, and the 2007 Ontario referendum), the intent behind DMP was to gain broader acceptance by retaining salient features of first-past-the-post voting. These features include a one-vote ballot, relatively small districts (compared with STV), and a single tier of local representatives (in contrast to MMP). [56]

Mixed-member proportional

Mixed-member proportional is a mixed electoral system in which voters get two votes: one to decide the representative for their single-seat constituency, and one for a political party. Seats in the legislature are filled firstly by candidates in local ridings, and secondly, by party candidates based on the percentage of nationwide or region-wide votes that each party received. [57]

In 2004, MMP was recommended by the Law Commission of Canada to be adopted for federal elections. [58] [59] In 2007, Ontario held a provincial referendum to adopt the system, which failed to pass. [59] In 2016, Prince Edward Island (PEI) voted to adopt MMP in a non-binding referendum. [60] PEI held another referendum on the issue during the 2019 provincial election and narrowly voted against MMP. [61] [62]

A form of MMP is used for national elections in New Zealand and Germany, and in the United Kingdom for elections to the devolved parliaments of Scotland and Wales (where the system is referred to as the Additional Member System). [63] [64]

Rural–urban proportional (RUP)

The name rural–urban proportional representation (RUP) was coined by Fair Vote Canada in 2016 as part of an effort to design a made-in-Canada voting system adapted to Canada's geography of wide open spaces. [65] [11] Fair Vote Canada's RUP is based on multi-member districts of variable size, featuring more seats per district in urban areas and fewer seats in rural areas, including some single-member districts in the most sparsely populated areas, hence the rural–urban distinction incorporated in the name.

To ensure a high level of proportionality overall, RUP also allows for a limited number of regional top-up seats. An advantage of this approach, compared to MMP, is that it requires fewer top-up seats to achieve proportionality. Under Fair Vote Canada's RUP, no more than 10 to 15 percent of seats would need to be set aside as top-up seats to achieve a high level of proportionality, because the results from existing multi-member districts would already be relatively proportional.

In its scorecard of proportional voting systems, Fair Voting BC gave RUP its highest ranking. [66] During the Canadian government's 2016 consultation on electoral reform at the federal level, [11] both the New Democratic Party of Canada and Green Party of Canada recommended Canada adopt either RUP or MMP. [67]

Simplified example of an STV ranked ballot used in an urban or semi-urban area under rural-urban proportional. A ranked ballot lets voters rank individual candidates in order of preference. Preferential ballot.svg
Simplified example of an STV ranked ballot used in an urban or semi-urban area under rural–urban proportional. A ranked ballot lets voters rank individual candidates in order of preference.

Fair Vote Canada's RUP did not specify whether the single transferable vote (STV) approach would be used in multi-member districts but left that as a possibility. The hybrid approach taken by rural–urban proportional reflects lessons learned from previous attempts to pass electoral reform. [68] Also worth noting is that a rural–urban dichotomy of a sort has been tried in Canada before. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba used a hybrid rural–urban system where STV was used in large cities Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg) and the alternative vote was used in single-member rural districts. [2] : 81–82  [65] [69]

However, the rural–urban option put forward in the BC referendum differed significantly from the rural–urban majoritarian system used in Alberta and Manitoba. What was put forward, instead, was the use of different models altogether in rural and urban areas: mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) in rural areas and STV in urban and semi-urban areas. [51] [70] [71] This would allow rural areas to retain single-member districts using the MMP approach, while allowing for multi-member districts using STV in the rest of the province.

Of the three options put forward by the government, this version of rural–urban was the only one allowing voters to rank individual candidates in order of preference using STV in urban and semi-urban areas. Under STV, all candidates must compete with one another for enough votes to win, including candidates running for the same party. Voters can rank long-shot independent candidates or candidates from unpopular parties first without fear of wasting their vote because votes for badly performing candidates are transferred to another candidate during counting, based on the voter's next preference, until all of the seats have been won.

Campaign

The official campaign began July 1, 2018. [35] Groups had until July 6 to apply to Elections BC to be named the official proponent or opponent groups and receive $500,000 in public funding. [72] On July 12, Elections BC announced that Vote PR BC would be the official proponent group and No BC Proportional Representation Society would be the official opponent group. [73] [74] Other individuals, groups and political parties were permitted to register as referendum advertisers with Elections BC but were not eligible for public funds. [35]

The NDP and Green Party campaigned for proportional representation. Sonia Furstenau, a Green MLA, held town halls about electoral reform in cities across the province in July and August. [75] [76] [77] BC Premier John Horgan launched the NDP's referendum campaign in early September, saying "Proportional representation means exactly what it says. Whatever proportion, or share, of the vote a party wins, they get that many seats in government." [78] Andrew Wilkinson, BC Liberal leader, opposed the referendum and a change to a proportional representation system. [79]

Elections BC mailed a referendum information card to every household in the province between September 10 and 28, and a voter's guide between October 15 and 26. [80] [81] Voters received their referendum voting package in the mail between October 22 and November 2. [81] In early September, the members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers voted in favour of job action. The strike resulted in Elections BC extending the voting deadline by a week. [82]

In early November, Horgan announced that he had cast his ballot for proportional representation, and that his first choice was MMP. [83] Vote PR BC, the official proponent group, flew Andrew Coyne to Vancouver to give a talk endorsing PR, where Coyne announced he supported Rural–Urban Proportional. [84] [85]

Debate

In late September, Andrew Wilkinson challenged John Horgan to a debate concerning the referendum, a challenge which Horgan accepted. The debate took place on November 8 at 7:00 pm. It was broadcast on CBC News and Global News. [86]

Official campaign organizations

Official campaign organizations included the official proponent and opponent groups along with referendum advertising sponsors. [87]

Official proponent and opponent groups

  • Proponent: Vote PR BC
  • Opponent: No BC Proportional Representation Society

Referendum advertising sponsors

Voting period extension

On November 23, 2018, due to a postal strike, Elections BC extended the voting period mailing deadline by a week – from November 30, 2018, to December 7, 2018. [82] The deadline to register to vote remained midnight on November 23, 2018. Voters who were sent a voting package but did not receive it, or who need a replacement voting package, could request a replacement package up to December 7. All ballots must have been received by Elections BC by 4:30 pm on December 7. [88] In response to a question from a constituent on Twitter, Elections BC clarified that ballots received by Elections BC's Referendum Service Offices or Service BC Centres up to and including 4:30 pm on December 7, 2018, but which had not been physically transferred to Elections BC's counting centre, would be accepted and counted as valid ballots. [89]

Post-referendum plans

The government had plans for the required next steps had proportional representation passed. However, as it did not pass, the government did not implement any of these. Had a proportional system been adopted, the independent BC Electoral Boundaries Commission would have determined the number and location of new electoral districts. A legislative committee would have been tasked with determining whether the number of members of the Legislative Assembly should increase, and if so by how many (to a maximum of an additional eight). Some other aspects of how the new system would have worked would have also needed to be determined by a legislative committee. [90]

If a form of proportional representation had been adopted, the government had also committed to holding a further confirming referendum after two general elections. [26] [29] Voters in that future referendum would have had the option of maintaining the form of proportional representation adopted or switching back to the first-past-the-post electoral system. [27] [91] On October 2, 2018, the government introduced legislation to enact the requirement for this second referendum into law. If a change from the first-past-the-post system had been adopted in 2018, the bill would have required a second referendum on electoral reform to occur within 13 months of the second provincial general election held under the chosen proportional representation voting system (no later than November 30, 2026). As voters decided to keep the existing first-past-the-post system, this second referendum will not take place. [92] [93]

Opinion polls

Question 1

Referendum-style binary question
Question: "Based on what you know, please indicate which of these two broad options you prefer for BC"

Polling firmLast date of pollingA new system of proportional representationThe current first-past-the-post systemRef.
Angus ReidJune 20, 201759%41% [94]
Angus ReidSeptember 26, 201765%35% [95]
Angus ReidDecember 31, 201757%43% [96]
Angus ReidMay 9, 201857%43% [97]
Angus ReidSeptember 17, 201857%43% [98] [99]
MainstreetNovember 8, 201849.5%50.5% [100]

Multiple choice question allowing undecideds and opt-outs (options 3–5 will not be present on ballot)
Question: "Based on how you feel right now, if you were to receive a voting package, which way would you vote on the first question?"

Polling firmLast date of pollingThe current first past the post voting systemA proportional representation voting systemUndecided / Not sureWould not vote on this particular questionWould ignore the voting package altogetherRef.
Angus ReidSeptember 18, 201831%33%33%1%2% [101] [98]
Google SurveyNovember 6, 201819.7%19.8%43.5%n/a17.1 [102]

Question 2

Polling firmLast date of pollingMixed-Member ProportionalRural–Urban ProportionalDual Member ProportionalNotesRef.
Angus ReidSeptember 28, 201849%26%24%Percentage breakdown shows preference among decided voters; 54% of people polled report being undecided on which system to choose. [103]
Mainstreet ResearchNovember 8, 201844.8%38.2%17%RUP has large lead in interior BC. MMP and RUP tied on Vancouver Island. MMP leading in Metro Vancouver. [100]

Results

On December 20, 2018, Elections BC announced that 61.3% of ballots were cast to maintain the first-past-the-post voting system. [104] [105] [106]

A total of 1,391,423 ballots were considered. There were 1,378,753 valid votes for Question 1, and 831,760 valid votes for Question 2. 2,461 ballots were rejected. [104] [105]

Question 1

The existing first-past-the-post voting system received a majority of votes with 61.30% (845,235) of the valid votes for Question 1. [104] [105] As a result, no electoral reform was approved.

Question 1: Which system should British Columbia use for provincial elections?

SystemVotes%
The current First Past the Post voting system845,23561.30%
A proportional representation voting system533,51838.70%
Total valid votes1,378,753100.0%
Invalid votes10,209
Rejected ballots2,461
Total ballots1,391,423

Question 2

Per the Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Regulation, STV rules were in effect to find the winner in Question 2 (although the question was moot as no electoral reform would take place as per the result of Question 1). Thus, when no system won a majority of first preferences, a second round of counting was required for Question 2. RUP had the fewest first preferences, so it was eliminated and its votes were transferred to the second preferences marked on the ballots. [104] [105] In the second count, the mixed-member proportional voting system had the most support on Question 2. [104] [105]

Question 2: If British Columbia adopts a proportional representation voting system, which of the following voting systems do you prefer?

Round 1Round 2
SystemVotes%TransfersVotes%
Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP)343,03841.24%+148,592491,63063.05%
Dual-Member Proportional (DMP)244,97329.45%+43,095288,06836.95%
Rural–Urban Proportional (RUP)243,74929.31%−243,749
Total continuing ballots831,760100.00%−52,062779,698100.00%
Exhausted ballots52,062
Total valid votes831,760831,760
Invalid votes557,202557,202
Rejected ballots2,4612,461
Total ballots considered1,391,4231,391,423

Exit poll and statistical analysis

An exit poll conducted by ResearchCo [107] provided information on why people voted the way they did. The poll showed that many of those who voted "No" shared democratic values associated with support for proportional representation. According to the poll, majorities of British Columbians polled endorsed:

When presented with a number of potential reasons for having voted "No", respondents identified a range of reasons, including the following top responses:

The ResearchCo exit poll indicated that people voted very much along partisan lines. Supporters of the BC Liberals and Conservatives voted for the status quo (87% and 84% respectively), while NDP and Green Party supporters favoured proportional representation (62% and 65% respectively). The turnout was also considerably higher for Liberal party voters (94% vs. 85% for NDP voters). [108] Another group that voted in the majority for proportional representation were young people ages 18 to 35. However, turnout rates in the exit poll sample were lower for this cohort (65% for youth aged 18–24a and 73% for ages 25–34, compared to a high of 92% for those aged 65 and above). [108] Multivariate regression analysis of results by riding identified more detailed results by age and political stance: young Liberals strongly opted for the status quo along with their peers, and young Greens voted strongly for proportional representation; however, among NDP supporters, there was a split, with young people voting more strongly for proportional representation than older groups. [109]

Max Cameron argued in the Vancouver Sun that the referendum was "rushed” and missing a process of "broad public consultations". [110]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proportional representation</span> Voting system that makes outcomes proportional to vote totals

Proportional representation (PR) refers to any type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions among voters. The essence of such systems is that all votes cast – or almost all votes cast – contribute to the result and are effectively used to help elect someone. Under other election systems, a bare plurality or a scant majority are all that are used to elect candidates. PR systems provide balanced representation to different factions, reflecting how votes are cast.

National referendums are seldom used in Canada. The first two referendums in 1898 and 1942 saw a large number of voters in Quebec and in the remainder of Canada take dramatically-opposing stands, and the third in 1992 saw most of the voters take a stand opposed to that of the party in power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mixed-member proportional representation</span> Type of mixed electoral system

Mixed-member proportional representation is a type of representation provided by some mixed electoral systems which combine local winner-take-all elections with a compensatory tier with party lists, in a way that produces proportional representation overall. Like proportional representation, MMP is not a single system, but a principle and goal of several similar systems. Some systems designed to achieve proportionality are still called mixed-member proportional, even if they generally fall short of full proportionality. In this case, they provide semi-proportional representation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral reform in New Zealand</span>

Electoral reform in New Zealand has been a political issue in the past as major changes have been made to both parliamentary and local government electoral systems.

Canada holds elections for legislatures or governments in several jurisdictions: for the federal (national) government, provincial and territorial governments, and municipal governments. Elections are also held for self-governing First Nations and for many other public and private organizations including corporations and trade unions. Municipal elections can also be held for both upper-tier and lower-tier governments.

The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform was created by the government of British Columbia, Canada to investigate changes to the provincial electoral system. On October 25, 2004, the citizens' assembly proposed replacing the province's existing first past the post (FPTP) system with BC-STV, a single transferable vote (STV) system. This recommendation was put to the electorate in a referendum in 2005 held during that year's provincial election. The provincial government required the referendum to achieve a super-majority of 60 percent of voters and simple majorities in 60 percent of the 79 districts in order to pass. The second of these thresholds was easily met, with a majority supporting the reform in 77 out of 79 electoral districts, but the overall vote fell short of the 60 percent requirement, with 57.69 percent of the votes in favour. A second referendum in 2009 on adopting the STV system also failed to pass carrying 8 electoral districts and 39.09 percent of the overall vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 British Columbia general election</span> Canadian provincial election

The 2005 British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. The British Columbia Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell. The main opposition was the British Columbia New Democratic Party, whose electoral representation was reduced to two MLAs in the previous provincial election in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 British Columbia electoral reform referendum</span> Referendum on electoral reform in 2005

A referendum was held in the Canadian province of British Columbia on May 17, 2005, to determine whether or not to adopt the recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform to replace the existing first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP) with a single transferable vote system (BC-STV). It was held in conjunction with the BC Legislative Assembly election of 2005. Voters were given two ballots at that time: a ballot to vote for a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) in their constituency and a referendum ballot. The referendum received considerable support from the electorate but failed in meeting the 60-percent threshold that had been set. A second referendum was held in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Ontario electoral reform referendum</span> Canadian provincial referendum on establishing mixed member proportional representation

A referendum was held on October 10, 2007, on the question of whether to establish a mixed member proportional representation (MMP) system for elections to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The vote was strongly in favour of the existing plurality voting or first-past-the-post (FPTP) system.

BC-STV is the proposed voting system recommended by the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform in October 2004 for use in British Columbia, and belongs to the single transferable vote family of voting systems. BC-STV was supported by a majority of the voters in a referendum held in 2005 but the government had legislated that it would not be bound by any vote lower than 60 percent in favour. Because of the strong majority support for BC-STV, the government elected to stage a second referendum in 2009, but with increased public funding for information campaigns to better inform the electorate about the differences between the existing and proposed systems. The leadership of both the "yes" side and the "no" side were assigned by the government. The proposal was rejected with 60.9 percent voting against, vs. 39.1 percent in favour, in the 2009 vote.

The Politics of British Columbia involve not only the governance of British Columbia, Canada, and the various political factions that have held or vied for legislative power, but also a number of experiments or attempts at political and electoral reform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 British Columbia electoral reform referendum</span> Referendum on electoral reform in 2009

Following the 2005 electoral reform referendum, British Columbia held a second referendum on electoral reform in conjunction with the provincial election on May 12, 2009. As in 2005, voters in 2009 were asked were asked which electoral system should be used to elect legislators: the existing first-past-the-post electoral system or the BC single transferable vote electoral system (BC-STV) proposed by the British Columbia Citizen's Assembly on Electoral Reform to ensure more proportional representation in the provincial Legislative Assembly.

A referendum was held in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island on November 28, 2005, to determine whether to adopt the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system as recommended by the Prince Edward Island Electoral Reform Commission in 2003.

The Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) is a group advocating electoral reform in New Zealand. It was founded in 1986. The group has been reformed as the Campaign for MMP to fight to retain Mixed-member proportional representation at the 2011 referendum on the issue.

The 2011 New Zealand voting system referendum was a referendum on whether to keep the existing mixed member proportional (MMP) voting system, or to change to another voting system, for electing Members of Parliament to New Zealand's House of Representatives. It was held on 26 November 2011 in conjunction with the 2011 general election.

Electoral reform is a change in electoral systems which alters how public desires are expressed in election results.

Bill Tieleman is a lobbyist and former NDP political strategist in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is known for opposing the 2009 referendum on electoral reform, and the 2018 referendum on whether to hold a second vote to choose a proportional voting system. Tieleman is also known for strongly advocating hydraulic fracturing to extract methane for export from British Columbia, and for denying the role of global warming in forest fires. Tieleman supported the Site C dam and opposed the 2017 confidence and supply agreement between the BC Green caucus and BC NDP caucus under leader John Horgan, which gave Horgan a legislative majority to become premier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dual-member mixed proportional</span> Mixed electoral system with compensation

The dual-member mixed proportional (DMP) voting method is a mixed electoral system using a localized list rule to elect two representatives in each district. It is similar to other forms of mixed-member proportional representation but differs in that all representatives are elected locally in small districts, rather than requiring separate list seats to be filled in large regional or nationwide districts. In the first step, one seat in each district is awarded to the candidate with the most votes, as with first-past-the-post voting rules. In the second step, underrepresented parties are assigned secondary seats in the districts in which they won the most votes, which creates an overall proportional result.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rural–urban proportional representation</span> Canadian hybrid proportional electoral system

Rural–urban proportional representation (RUP), also called flexible district PR, is a supermixed electoral system which combines the use of single- and multi-member constituencies in a lower tier and top-up seats in an upper tier to meet the different needs of both rural and urban areas, while protecting the objective of proportionality. The term was coined by Fair Vote Canada, which devised a rural–urban system with the intention of meeting the special challenges of Canada's geography, which includes wide-flung, sparsely populated areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Prince Edward Island electoral reform referendum</span> Canadian provincial referendum

A referendum on electoral reform was held on April 23, 2019, in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island – simultaneously with the 2019 provincial election – to determine if the province should adopt a mixed-member proportional representation voting system (MMP). A narrow majority voted to keep the existing first-past-the-post system. However, the referendum was not binding, as neither the yes or no side received majority support in 60% or more of the province's 27 electoral districts.

References

  1. 1 2 Elections British Columbia (1988). "Electoral History of British Columbia 1871–1986" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pilon, Dennis (2007). The politics of voting : reforming Canada's electoral system. Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications. ISBN   9781552392362. OCLC   150223313.
  3. ↑ Elections British Columbia (1988). "Electoral History of British Columbia 1871–1986" (PDF). pp. 231–232. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  4. ↑ Elections BC (2018). "Electoral History of B.C." Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  5. ↑ Elections BC (2018). "Electoral History of B.C." Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  6. 1 2 British Columbia Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform (December 2004). "Making Every Vote Count: The Case for Electoral Reform in British Columbia" (PDF). Government of British Columbia. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2005. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  7. ↑ Elections BC (May 17, 2005). "Statement of Votes – Referendum on Electoral Reform" (PDF). p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  8. ↑ Elections BC (May 12, 2009). "Statement of Votes – Referendum on Electoral Reform" (PDF). p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Electoral reform". Real Change. Liberal Party of Canada. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  10. 1 2 Meissner, Dirk (May 30, 2018). "B.C. electoral reform referendum includes two-part ballot question". The National Post . Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 Special Committee on Electoral Reform (December 1, 2016). Strengthening Democracy in Canada: Principles, Process and Public Engagement for Electoral Reform (Report). Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  12. ↑ Stone, Laura. "Trudeau abandons electoral reform, breaking key campaign promise". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  13. ↑ Smith, Joanna (February 1, 2017). "Trudeau abandons promise for electoral reform". Maclean's. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on February 9, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Platform 2017" (PDF). bcndp.ca. BC NDP. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  15. ↑ Omand, Geordon (May 18, 2017). "B.C. parties leave door open to electoral reform without a referendum". CBC News . Archived from the original on June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  16. ↑ BC Green Party (2017). "Change You Can Count On: Platform 2017". Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  17. ↑ McElroy, Justin (May 29, 2017). "B.C. Green Party agrees to support NDP in the legislature". CBC News . Archived from the original on June 5, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  18. ↑ BC NDP Caucus (May 30, 2017). "2017 Confidence and Supply Agreement between the BC Green Caucus and the BC New Democrat Caucus" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  19. ↑ Hipolito, Chad (May 31, 2018). "The road ahead for B.C. politics". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  20. ↑ Meissner, Dirk (June 23, 2017). "B.C. Throne Speech: Clark's Liberals Promise Electoral Reform Referendum, Sales Tax Cut". Huffington Post Canada . Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Speech from the Throne". Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. June 22, 2017. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  22. ↑ McElroy, Justin. "NDP Leader John Horgan to be next premier of British Columbia". CBC News . Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  23. ↑ Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Act , SBC 2017, c. 22
  24. ↑ Hunter, Justine (November 30, 2017). "B.C. NDP, Greens flex partnership with swath of new policy achievements". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  25. ↑ Meissner, Dirk (November 23, 2017). "B.C. New Democrats invite public electoral reform vote; Liberals cry foul". Vancouver Sun . Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  26. 1 2 3 Eby, David (May 30, 2018). "How We Vote 2018 Electoral Reform Referendum: Report and Recommendations of the Attorney General" (PDF). Government of British Columbia. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 31, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  27. 1 2 MacLeod, Andrew (May 30, 2018). "Eby Unveils Proposed Electoral Reform Referendum Questions". The Tyee . Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  28. ↑ Eagland, Nick (June 4, 2018). "New Zealand gives B.C. a lesson on proportional representation". Vancouver Sun . Archived from the original on June 9, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  29. 1 2 Office of the Premier (June 7, 2018). "Premier's statement on recommendations for proportional representation referendum" (Press release). Government of British Columbia. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  30. ↑ Fletcher, Tom (June 7, 2018). "B.C. cabinet approves multiple-choice voting referendum". The Chilliwack Progress. Black Press. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  31. ↑ Grauer, Perrin (June 10, 2018). "Campaign to change B.C. voting system hits the streets, with Ontario election in mind". StarMetro Vancouver . Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  32. ↑ Ryan, Denise (June 10, 2018). "Canvassers take case for B.C. electoral reform to commuters". Vancouver Sun . Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  33. ↑ Boegman, Anton (June 18, 2018). "Letter to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly" (PDF). Elections BC . Archived (PDF) from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  34. ↑ Press Progress (June 19, 2018). "Elections BC Just Blew a Giant Hole in the Big Money Campaign Attacking Electoral Reform". Press Progress. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  35. 1 2 3 4 "Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Regulation, Reg. 313/2018" (PDF). govTogetherBC. Government of British Columbia. June 22, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  36. ↑ The Canadian Press (June 22, 2018). "Electoral reform vote in B.C. includes $500,000 each for pro and con groups". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  37. ↑ Little, Simon (June 22, 2018). "B.C. lays out rules for fall referendum on changing the way politicians are elected". Global News . Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  38. ↑ "About ICBA". icba.ca. Independent Contractors and Business Association. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  39. 1 2 Mulgrew, Ian (June 29, 2018). "Injunction sought to halt B.C. proportional representation vote". Vancouver Sun . Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  40. ↑ Kretzel, Lasia (June 29, 2018). "ICBA, Union seek injunction on proportional representation referendum". News 1130 . Archived from the original on July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  41. ↑ Bains, Camille (July 1, 2018). "B.C. referendum campaign launches as groups file petition to stop process". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  42. ↑ Mulgrew, Ian (July 18, 2018). "B.C. electoral system referendum foes lose first round". Vancouver Sun . Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  43. ↑ Fraser, Keith (August 28, 2018). "Judge refuses to stop B.C.'s referendum on proportional representation voting system". Vancouver Sun . Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  44. ↑ Ball, David (August 28, 2018). "Judge quashes attempt to halt mailing of ballots for B.C.'s referendum on electoral reform". The Star Vancouver . Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  45. ↑ ICBA v British Columbia, 2018 BCSC 1597 , Supreme Court (British Columbia,Canada)
  46. ↑ Yuzda, Liza (September 13, 2018). "ICBA seeking appeal on proportional representation referendum injunction request". Global News . Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  47. ↑ Macdonald, Gord (September 28, 2018). "BCGEU joins legal fight over proportional representation referendum". Global News . Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  48. ↑ ICBA v British Columbia, 2018 BCCA 429 , Court of Appeal (British Columbia,Canada)
  49. ↑ The Canadian Press (November 2, 2018). "Top B.C. court rejects group's attempt to stop electoral reform referendum". The Province . Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  50. ↑ McElroy, Justin (May 30, 2018). "B.C. to choose between 4 systems for electoral reform referendum". CBC News . Archived from the original on June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  51. 1 2 McElroy, Justin (June 2, 2018). "Know your voting systems: three types of electoral reform on B.C.'s ballot". CBC News . Archived from the original on June 3, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  52. ↑ Graham, Sean (April 4, 2016). Dual-Member Mixed Proportional: A New Electoral System for Canada (Report). doi:10.7939/r3-qppp-b676. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  53. ↑ PEI Special Committee on Democratic Renewal (November 27, 2015). "Recommendations in Response to the White Paper on Democratic Renewal" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 22, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  54. ↑ "Dual Member Proportional (DMP)". elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  55. ↑ Canadian House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform (September 29, 2016). "Meeting No. 33 Evidence". Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  56. ↑ The Guardian (October 29, 2016). "Editorial: We endorse DMP option in plebiscite". The Guardian . Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  57. ↑ "Mixed Member Proportional (MMP)". elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  58. ↑ Law Commission of Canada (2004). "Voting Counts: Electoral Reform for Canada" (PDF). Minister of Public Works and Government Services. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  59. 1 2 Ouellet, Valérie; Dubinsky, Zach (June 16, 2018). "The electoral game: What would Ontario results look like under a different voting system?". CBC News . Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  60. ↑ Bradley, Susan (November 8, 2016). "P.E.I. plebiscite results favour mixed member proportional representation". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  61. ↑ Smith, Katie (April 23, 2019). "P.E.I. voters split on electoral reform". The Guardian. Charlottetown, PEI. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  62. ↑ CBC News (June 12, 2018). "Much-amended P.E.I. referendum legislation passes". CBC News . Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  63. ↑ Humphrey, Matt (June 25, 2018). "Why New Zealand's former prime minister believes proportional representation works better". CBC News . Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  64. ↑ Fair Vote Canada (2018). "Mixed Member Proportional". Fair Vote Canada. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  65. 1 2 Fair Vote Canada (2018). "Rural–Urban Proportional". Fair Vote Canada. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  66. ↑ Fair Voting BC (September 25, 2016). "Scorecard". Fair Voting BC. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  67. ↑ Wherry, Aaron; Tasker, John Paul (December 1, 2016). "Minister 'disappointed' as electoral reform committee recommends referendum on proportional representation". CBC News . Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  68. ↑ Dhillon, Sunny (June 17, 2018). "BC's proportional representation voting system options include two that are lesser known". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  69. ↑ Bowler, Shaun; Grofman, Bernard, eds. (2000). Elections in Australia, Ireland, and Malta under the Single Transferable Vote. University of Michigan Press. doi:10.3998/mpub.16507. ISBN   978-0-472-11159-6. JSTOR   10.3998/mpub.16507.
  70. ↑ "Rural–Urban Proportional (RUP)". elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  71. ↑ Zussman, Richard (May 30, 2018). "British Columbians will vote on our electoral system — Here are the 4 options". Global News . Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  72. ↑ "2018 Referendum Funding". elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  73. ↑ The Canadian Press (July 12, 2018). "Yes and No groups selected before B.C.'s electoral reform referendum". CTV News . Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  74. ↑ "2018 Referendum Funding". elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  75. ↑ Slack, Jeff (July 19, 2018). "Green Party MLA holding forum on Electoral Reform in PG". My Prince George Now. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  76. ↑ Staff (August 21, 2018). "Green MLA Furstenau visits Nelson-Creston riding". Nelson Daily. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  77. ↑ Eckford, Sean (August 24, 2018). "Simons and Green MLAs discuss PR, cooperation". Coast Reporter. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  78. ↑ Palmer, Vaughn (September 7, 2018). "Horgan selling positives of electoral change, but there are negatives". Vancouver Sun . Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  79. ↑ Smyth, Mike (June 3, 2018). "B.C. Liberals declare all-out war on proportional representation". The Province . Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  80. ↑ Fletcher, Tom (September 10, 2018). "Voter registration push begins for B.C. referendum". Castlegar News. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  81. 1 2 "Referendum Resources". elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  82. 1 2 "Voting period for electoral reform referendum extended due to postal strike". CBC News. November 23, 2018. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  83. ↑ CBC News (November 1, 2018). "John Horgan: I voted for mixed-member proportional in electoral reform referendum". CBC News . Archived from the original on November 4, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  84. ↑ "Tomorrow noted political commentator @ACoyne joins us for a lively discussion on Pro Rep. Are you planning on taking part? RSVP here to attend: #PR4BC #ProRep #BCPoli". Facebook. October 24, 2018. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  85. ↑ Coyne, Andrew (October 30, 2018). "Andrew Coyne: Which electoral system for B.C.? Any option is better than the status quo". National Post. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  86. ↑ CBC News (October 30, 2018). "B.C. premier, opposition leader to face off in electoral reform debate". CBC News . Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  87. ↑ "2018 Referendum Advertising Sponsors" (PDF). elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. December 8, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 8, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  88. ↑ "How to Vote". December 12, 2016. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  89. ↑ Elections BC [@ElectionsBC] (December 14, 2018). "Hi Doug – Yes, completed voting packages received by Elections BC by mail or in person at a Referendum Service Office or Service BC Centre by 4:30 p.m. on December 7, 2018 were accepted for counting" (Tweet). Retrieved December 19, 2018– via Twitter.
  90. ↑ "What happens after the referendum?". elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  91. ↑ Zussman, Richard (June 7, 2018). "B.C. cabinet confirms format of electoral reform referendum". Global News . Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  92. ↑ Zussman, Richard (October 2, 2018). "B.C. Government to legislate a second referendum on electoral reform if new system passes". Global News . Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  93. ↑ CHEK News (October 2, 2018). "Legislation proposed for a confirming referendum if B.C. voters choose proportional representation". CHEK News . Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  94. ↑ "Snap Election? Snap out of it, say majority of British Columbians – Angus Reid Institute". Angus Reid Institute. June 17, 2017. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  95. ↑ "British Columbians call on new provincial government to deliver electoral reform, energy projects – Angus Reid Institute". Angus Reid Institute. September 25, 2017. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  96. ↑ "Site C: By margin of two-to-one, BC residents say province made the right call to finish dam project – Angus Reid Institute". Angus Reid Institute. January 11, 2018. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  97. ↑ "One year later: British Columbians mixed on NDP's performance, but support its housing affordability policies - Angus Reid Institute". May 9, 2018. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  98. 1 2 "Proportional Representation: BC residents split three ways over whether to change voting system – Angus Reid Institute". Angus Reid Institute. September 27, 2018. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  99. ↑ "National release tables – Angus Reid Survey September 9 2017" (PDF). angusreid.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  100. 1 2 "Mainstreet Research – BC UltraPoll Release". Mainstreet. November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  101. ↑ "BC Electoral Reform Vote Intention Release Tables" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  102. ↑ Breguet, Bryan. "Too Close To Call: Exclusive poll: The referendum on electoral reform in BC is a toss-up". Too Close To Call. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  103. ↑ "Proportional Representation: BC residents split three ways over whether to change voting system". September 28, 2018. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  104. 1 2 3 4 5 "2018 Referendum Voting Results". Elections BC. December 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  105. 1 2 3 4 5 "2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform – Provincial Results" (PDF). Elections BC. December 20, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  106. ↑ "B.C. votes to keep first-past-the-post electoral system". CBC News. December 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018. Elections BC announced the results Thursday, saying 61.3 per cent of ballots had been cast in favour of the status quo, while proportional representation got 38.7 per cent.
  107. ↑ "Confusion Influenced Referendum Voters in British Columbia." Mario Canseco and Researchco, December 21, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  108. 1 2 "Confusion Influenced Referendum Voters in British Columbia." Mario Canseco and Researchco, December 21, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2023. Percentages calculated from Table 1, using data for respondents who had voted.
  109. ↑ "BC Referendum Regression Results." Réal Lavergne. Jan. 18, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  110. ↑ "B.C.’s snap election reflects our electoral system." Max Cameron. Oct. 14, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.