British Columbia electoral reform referendum, 2005
Encyclopedia
A referendum
was held in the Canadian
province of British Columbia
on May 17, 2005 to determine whether or not to adopt the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
. It was held in conjunction with the British Columbia general election, 2005
.
Voters were given a referendum ballot in addition to a ballot to vote for the candidates for Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
(MLA) in their constituency.
. Each political party runs one candidate in each electoral district. The candidate with the most votes in the electoral district wins and is charged with representing all voters in the electoral district.
The proposed electoral system is a customised version of Single Transferable Vote
(STV) called BC-STV
. In this system, each electoral district will have between 2 and 7 seats depending on its population and geographic size. The anticipated outcome would be proportional representation
while avoiding the use of party lists, something the Citizen's Assembly felt would be unpopular with British Columbians.
* In order to pass, the referendum had to receive 60% of the province-wide popular vote and a simple majority
in 60% (48 of 79) of the electoral districts.
Sixty percent of the number that voted is 1,020,681; thus, the referendum failed by 39,262 votes.
Among critical voices, many argued the STV system was simply too confusing to understand. Indeed, at least two-thirds of British Columbians admitted having "little or no" knowledge of how the proposed STV system would operate in practice. Yet despite this, the measure gained a 57.6% approval in the province on voting day. Many pundits have since interpreted the high endorsement as an indication that British Columbians are simply desperate for any change to the electoral / political system in the province, and thus are likely to view any reform as being an improvement over the status quo.
the following September, Campbell indicated that the referendum would be rerun in conjunction with the B.C. municipal elections in November 2008 with better financing and a completed set of proposed boundaries. BC-STV would remain intact as the proposed alternative to FPTP. More controversially, the 60% threshold would also remain in place. In April of 2006, the date was changed so that the referendum would take place with the next provincial election in May 2009
.
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
on May 17, 2005 to determine whether or not to adopt the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform (British Columbia)
The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform is a group created by the government of British Columbia, Canada to investigate changes to the provincial electoral system...
. It was held in conjunction with the British Columbia general election, 2005
British Columbia general election, 2005
The 38th British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia , Canada. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
.
Voters were given a referendum ballot in addition to a ballot to vote for the candidates for Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
(MLA) in their constituency.
Proposed changes to the electoral system
The current electoral system in BC is Single Member Plurality, otherwise known as First Past The Post (FPTP). In this system, a voter gives one vote to one candidate in one electoral districtElectoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
. Each political party runs one candidate in each electoral district. The candidate with the most votes in the electoral district wins and is charged with representing all voters in the electoral district.
The proposed electoral system is a customised version of Single Transferable Vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
(STV) called BC-STV
BC-STV
BC-STV is a proposed voting system recommended by the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform 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...
. In this system, each electoral district will have between 2 and 7 seats depending on its population and geographic size. The anticipated outcome would be proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
while avoiding the use of party lists, something the Citizen's Assembly felt would be unpopular with British Columbians.
Question
The question asked was: Should British Columbia change to the BC-STV electoral system as recommended by the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform?Results
The final result of the referendum was:| Option | Popular Vote | Districts carried | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| X | No | 719,716 | 42.31% | 2 | 2.53% |
| Yes* | 981,419 | 57.69% | 77 | 97.47% | |
| Total | 1,701,135 | 100.0% | 79 | 100.0% | |
Majority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
in 60% (48 of 79) of the electoral districts.
Sixty percent of the number that voted is 1,020,681; thus, the referendum failed by 39,262 votes.
Analysis
The unexpectedly high popularity of the voting reform surprised many. The referendum campaign received little media attention, as both parties were officially neutral on the proposed change. Few special interest groups likewise expressed any interest in the campaign, and as a result supportive and critical advertisements and promotions were largely conducted only by a couple of small "ad hoc" citizen groups.Among critical voices, many argued the STV system was simply too confusing to understand. Indeed, at least two-thirds of British Columbians admitted having "little or no" knowledge of how the proposed STV system would operate in practice. Yet despite this, the measure gained a 57.6% approval in the province on voting day. Many pundits have since interpreted the high endorsement as an indication that British Columbians are simply desperate for any change to the electoral / political system in the province, and thus are likely to view any reform as being an improvement over the status quo.
Repercussions
Upon re-election, Premier Gordon Campbell pledged that there was a clear mandate for electoral reform, and although the STV referendum did not pass, he would explore other possible voting reform options during his second term. While some in the electoral reform community expressed concern that this might lead to the imposition of a "watered-down" and/or partisanly-stilted system by the Legislature, in the Speech from the ThroneSpeech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
the following September, Campbell indicated that the referendum would be rerun in conjunction with the B.C. municipal elections in November 2008 with better financing and a completed set of proposed boundaries. BC-STV would remain intact as the proposed alternative to FPTP. More controversially, the 60% threshold would also remain in place. In April of 2006, the date was changed so that the referendum would take place with the next provincial election in May 2009
British Columbia electoral reform referendum, 2009
A second referendum on electoral reform was held in conjunction with the provincial election on May 12, 2009. The BC-single transferrable vote electoral system was again voted on by the BC electorate. It would have required 60 per cent overall approval and 50 per cent approval in at least 60 per...
.
Timeline
- September 20, 2002 — The government appoints former British Columbia Liberal PartyBritish Columbia Liberal PartyThe British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
leader Gordon GibsonGordon GibsonGordon Gibson, OBC is a political columnist, author, and former politician in British Columbia , Canada. He is the son of the late Gordon Gibson Sr, who was a prominent businessman and Liberal Party politician in mid-1950s BC....
to recommend the structure of the Citizens' AssemblyCitizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform (British Columbia)The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform is a group created by the government of British Columbia, Canada to investigate changes to the provincial electoral system...
. - April 28, 2003 — The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform is created by motion of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
- December 10, 2004 — The final report of the Assembly, recommending BC-STV, is presented to the government.
- January 15, 2005 — The Democratic Reform British ColumbiaDemocratic Reform British ColumbiaDemocratic Reform British Columbia is a progressive–centrist political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.-Formation of the party:...
party is created out of a merger of the British Columbia Democratic CoalitionBritish Columbia Democratic CoalitionThe British Columbia Democratic Coalition was a short-lived coalition of minor political parties in British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in September 2004 to bring together four minor parties: the British Columbia Democratic Alliance, the British Columbia Moderate Democratic Movement, the...
and the All Nations Party of British ColumbiaAll Nations Party of British ColumbiaThe All Nations Party was a minor political party in British Columbia, Canada. Its primary base of support was the First Nations aboriginal peoples of Canada....
. The party also boasts the support of key elements of the Reform Party of British ColumbiaReform Party of British ColumbiaThe Reform Party of British Columbia is a populist right wing political party in British Columbia, Canada. Although its name is similar to the defunct Reform Party of Canada, the provincial party was founded before the federal party was and it did not have any formal association with...
. One of this party's main goals is the support of BC-STV.
Opinion polls
- Ipsos-ReidIpsos-ReidIpsos Reid is a research company based in Canada and is the Canadian arm of the global Ipsos Group. Founded in Winnipeg in 1979, the company expanded across the country and became part of the Ipsos Group in 2000....
(commissioned by the Victoria Times-ColonistVictoria Times-ColonistThe Times Colonist is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by the merger, in 1980, of the Victoria Daily Times, established in 1884, and the British Colonist , established in 1858 by Amor De Cosmos, who was also British Columbia's second...
): May 14, 2005 — Yes 47%, No 35%, Undecided 13%, Will Not Vote 3% - Ipsos-ReidIpsos-ReidIpsos Reid is a research company based in Canada and is the Canadian arm of the global Ipsos Group. Founded in Winnipeg in 1979, the company expanded across the country and became part of the Ipsos Group in 2000....
: April 30, 2005 — Yes 42%, No 38% - Nordic Research GroupNordic Research GroupNRG Research Group is a Canadian public opinion and market research company, which also provides strategic consulting and analytical services to clients worldwide.NRG was formed in 2005 from the merger of Western Opinion Research and Nordic Research Group....
: April 28, 2005 — Yes 32%, No 16%, Undecided 52%