BC's STV
If you've been following the news in Canada recently, you may have heard of BC's STV. A while ago, a randomly selected group of 160 regular British Columbia citizens gathered to evaluate the method by which governments were elected in the province. They recommended that province change from the old SMP voting system (Single Member Plurality, commonly referred to as 'First Past the Post') to an STV system (Single Transferable Vote). It's going to a provincial referendum on May 17 to coincide with their provincial election.

It's a difficult system for some people to understand. Of those that do understand it, some don't like it, and some think it's the greatest electoral development in modern time. Before I weigh in with my opinion, I would like to declare that I am not a resident of British Columbia, nor do I direct my writing toward citizens of the province, and thus am not required by BC law to register as an election advertiser.

I really think that this is a fantastic development in democracy. It gives a better representation of the way people think, and will undoubtedly create more balanced representation in their provincial assembly, meaning that MLA's will need to be more accountable to their constituents and less to their parties. For a government to rule automatically with the mandate of a majority government leaves the voters out of the picture for too long, and I think that what the STV system will give BC does that far better.

In a nutshell, STV is about vote sharing and redistribution. The voting map will change, and each new riding will elect at least two MLA's. Voters rank the candidates by preference, and then using an algorithm, the candidates are elected from the results. The description gets a bit technical, but I think it's not as complicated as the CBC has made it out to be. The first step is to determine the voting quota, the number of votes a candidate needs to be elected. The formula for that is [(total votes cast in the riding)/(number of seats available + 1)]+1. Then the votes are counted using the #1 ranking for all. Any candidates who have more votes than the quota are elected, or if no candidate has enough, then the last place candidate is eliminated. If a candidate is elected, any votes over the quota are proportionately redistributed using the next preference. If a candidate is eliminated, their votes get redistributed using their next preference. This cycle continues until the appropriate number of candidates are elected. This will really help fringe parties get the representation that their votes suggest.

I think STV will make governing more difficult, but I think it will require the government to be more responsible about it. I could make rural representation weaker, but that depends on how the new ridings are drawn up. I support STV, even though I can't vote on it, and I'm not allowed to advertise to any one who is voting on it. For more information click on these links:
BC Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform
BC STV Electoral System
An animated explanation of the system
Elections BC
Why I can't advertise my opinion

   [ posted by William @ 11:38 AM ]