Post by Admin on Nov 9, 2017 5:21:17 GMT
"30% of the Votes = 30% of the Seats"
Lets examine this "Sound-bite". "30% of the Votes...." refers to the Provincial Popular Vote percentage. The 87 MLA seats in the Legislature is NOT elected in a Province-wide election. The 87 MLA seats are elected with 87 individual Local Riding elections. With 87 individual elections there is no way that the Provincial Popular Vote percentage will be reflected in the percentage of the 87 seats.
In order for "30% of the Votes = 30% of the Seats" to be REAL, we would need to have a SINGLE Province-Wide election where we elect 87 MLAs "At-Large". This would mean that a LARGE majority of MLAs would be elected from the Lower-Mainland as it is here that a LARGE percentage of the citizens reside. The Province's North region and many Interior regions would probably have 0 representation. This would not be good for the Province as a whole - loss of Local Representation.
"Majority of Votes = Elected Representative"
This may not be a great sound-bite as it does not roll-off-the-tongue so smoothly. It does make more sense. This means that the individual Riding's Popular Vote percentage is represented.
In our current, FPTP, system it is often a Large Minority of Votes that elects the Riding's MLA. The fact that many MLAs' represents a MINORITY of Voters is what creates this large disparity between votes and seats. This is what we are trying to fix with Electoral Reform.
With the Ranked Ballot each MLA will need a MAJORITY of voters' support in each individual Riding. This will have each MLA in the Legislature representing a MAJORITY of their Ridings' voters. The Riding's Popular Vote percentage is represented. The fact that the Majority of Voters are represented in the Legislature will reduce the disparity of votes to seats. It may not be parity, but a lot closer than our FPTP system.