About This Blog

In the 2005 referendum, British Columbians voted 58 percent in favour of BC-STV. New referendum legislation required 60 percent. Volunteers who support the YES for BC-STV campaign are working hard to get the second referendum, to be held May 12th, passed. This blog is designed as a source for Mid-Island volunteers, supporters and interested members of the public.

Mid-Island BC-STV Events

  • REFERENDUM DAY. May 12. (Oh, and there's an election today too.)

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Election Day + 1

Good Morning....a new day.

First, I have to say this.......I ache for all the Citizens' Assembly folks who believe passionately in the BC-STV.
Bruce Halsor made excellent comments on the CBC Vancouver Island radio show this morning. He commended the 7000 BC-STV volunteers around the province. We all ran a positive campaign and we KNOW when we could speak face to face that the voters understood and were supportive.
I am not a political analyst so will not presume to understand what happened. I do know that there are 44% of voters in the Cowichan Valley who really "get it" and, as has been our motto, they are willing to "do politics differently".

We connected with amazing people.

With gratitude to all of you who showed your support by putting up a sign, handing out pamphlets, participating in "waving Wednesdays" and believing in electoral reform.

Sandy

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

UPDATE - Watch, Learn, Distribute Widely

UPDATE: Last night, I sent the link to this video to ALL my contacts on Gmail. Didn't bother with filtering, so it would have gone to Staples, the Upton Tea Co in the US, etc. etc. Just got this response from someone I've not been in touch with in years: "Hello Ocean. Thank-you for sending this my way. I have listened to it and am passing it onto family."

Makes it worth my likely being removed from some people's contact list.

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If you haven't seen this video yet and you're still unconvinced that this province needs the democratic reform which BC-STV would start, then watch it now. It's of former Deputy Premier Christy Clark speaking on CKNW last week. She openly confesses why she voted against BC-STV in 2005: her personal interests as a politician were best served by first-past-the-post.


CTV last night reported that the tide is turning in favour of the reform, with online polls showing over 60 percent support of BC-STV. We CAN win this. Let's do it.

Please distribute the video, or forward a link to this post, to everybody you know, regardless of whether they live in BC - their friends may know people in BC... This really IS a small world.

Other must-see videos: The Choice, Fair Results, BC-STV in Action.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Read ASL (Sign Language)? BC-STV Explained in Two Minutes

Yet defenders of the status quo - almost all of them politicians or political wannabes - say the system is "confusing," even "baffling."

Friday, May 8, 2009

MUST SEE VIDEO

It's of former Deputy Premier Christy Clark speaking on CKNW yesterday. She says that the referendum on electoral reform is the most important vote British Columbians will cast and she is open about why she voted against BC-STV in the last referendum: for reasons of personal interest as a politician who benefited from FPTP.



Please distribute the video, or forward a link to this post, to everybody you know.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Second GREAT Ad: Donate to Get It On Air!



Only $50,000 more is needed to get both ads on air. Please donate if you can: $10, $20, any amount helps.

Farley Mowat Requests a Moment of Your Time

One of Canada’s most-loved authors is asking his thousands of fans across British Columbia for a birthday present. Farley Mowat, whose books have been translated into 20 languages and sold in the millions around the world, turns 88 on May 12. He has one wish on our election day: vote yes for BC-STV.

The author of such time-honoured books as Never Cry Wolf (1963) and Sea of Slaughter (1984) says British Columbians have the opportunity to finally retire our current outdated voting system and set the standard for democracy right across the country.

On May 12, in a province wide referendum on electoral reform, voters will have a chance to make history and change the way politicians are elected. British Columbians will choose between the current “first-past-the-post” system and the STV system that was recommended overwhelmingly by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. In the last election, BC-STV received more votes than any political party, nearly 58 per cent. However, the referendum requires 60 per cent approval to be adopted by the government.

British Columbians for BC-STV is the official proponent of the single transferable vote (STV) system, as proposed by the BC Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform in 2004. More information about the STV system and how British Columbians can get involved in the campaign is available at www.stv.ca or by calling 1-866-835-7612. Voters can also join the online discussion about electoral reform through the Facebook group “Yes for BC-STV” and www.twitter.com/BCSTV.

-30-

Monday, May 4, 2009

Environmentalists Endorse BC-STV

Another big endorsement.
Prominent environmentalists are coming out in favour of a yes vote for the proposed single-transferable-vote system, commonly referred to as BC-STV.

Vancouver's David Suzuki, green crusader Tzeporah Berman, climate-change specialist Mark Jaccard, Greenpeace Canada executive director Bruce Cox and resource economist Wendy Holm all support a switch to the new system, according to a news release from the BC-STV yes campaign.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

STV a Logical Step in Evolution of Democracy

The following was sent off to the editors of the Victoria Times-Colonist, the Cowichan Valley Citizen and the Cowichan NewsLeader. Whether it will get published to those media outlets, we don't know.* In the meantime, here it is, written from the perspective of an Irish-Canadian unassociated with the BC-STV campaign.

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STV or Proportional Representation (PR) is just another logical step in the evolution of democracy and in historical terms, will be viewed much like allowing women the vote or the reduction of the voting age to eighteen.

If one looks at the newly emerging democracies around the world - South Africa, the Welsh and Scottish Assemblies, Hungary and many other countries - this progression is clearly evident.

It is greatly to the credit of the current BC legislature that they have agreed to revisit the work of the Citizens' Assembly that brought forward this suggested system and it is a historic opportunity that we as voters should use to vote a resounding Yes to.

I grew up under a PR system in Ireland and saw first hand how this was a more democratic system. One did not have to "hold your nose" and vote for the better of two bad choices or risk wasting your vote. In Ireland it has also given small or new parties a voice. For example, the Greens currently hold the balance of power in Government; a historical first.

With this system you can vote your conscience first and your next best choice can be a candidate you can live with.

Under larger ridings you will always have a representative in government to work for your region and interests and on whose door you can knock, unlike today where you may not have a MLA for 20 or more years.

Sincerely,

Frank Ryan
Crofton

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* We have noticed a huge disparity between the number of unique online comments pro-STV vs. those pro-FPTP. The latter often try to fill out their numbers by numerous comments by the same person. Still STV supporters outnumber the FPTP camp by at least six times. Whereas in print it's consistently one letter published for STV, another published against STV. Thus, British Columbians aren't getting a sense, at least through their print media, of the support for STV on the ground.

The other side rarely 'fesses up to the fact that essentially they're backing the status quo. Yet there are TWO electoral systems on the referendum ballot: FPTP and STV, not NOT STV and STV.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Waving Wednesday - April 29 AM - Duncan


We had our first Waving Wednesday event this morning, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., down at the Trans Canada Highway overpass just south of the Silver Bridge near Duncan.

Here's the report from Sandy McPherson, our boundlessly energetic lower mid-island volunteer coordinator.

Many thanks to Marilyn, Anne, Jo, Alan, Susan and especially Randy our "Awesome Sign Guy" who made modifications to the yard signs for easy waving.

We had waves and honks too numerous to count. All in all a really positive and motivating experience.


Way to go, team!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

VIDEO for BC-STV - Help Give it Air Time!



You can help put this advertisement on the air and help reach out to voters across the province. The more people know about BC-STV, the more they like it!

Example costs to run a 30 second ad:

Local TV

Evening News in Terrace, $105
Late News in Kamloops, $135

Daytime TV

Oprah, $891
Jeopardy, $920
Dancing With the Stars in Victoria, $1320

Primetime and Playoff Advertising!

BCTV Newshour, $2,430
NHL Playoffs, $2,730

Learn more or donate to the STV campaign today!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Libby Davies to Vote BC-STV

Just picked up on Twitter. Here's the source, from Libby Davies' own hand, written to her blog today:

The bottom line? People say to me - this is the best chance we have to get democratic electoral reform through, now and not in the distant future, especially as the last referendum was so close. This is a good point. Like many, I want change - progressive change - and I want to see the cynicism that people feel about politics and the political process change too. Not that STV will answer all that - it won't. But maybe it’s a first step to affirm change brought forward by citizens, not political parties.

So here I am, in answer to all the questions about my position - I can't duck it any longer. I'm voting YES to STV. I'm a bit of a reluctant comer to it and I’ve got my issues about it. But I've come to the conclusion that it’s the right thing to do.

Thank you, Ms. Davies. Your support means a lot.

Have readers been counting? That's three female NDP MPs so far who have come out in support of BC-STV: Denise Savoie, Jean Crowder and now Libby Davies.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Response to Pro-FPTP/Anti-STV Analogy

Discovered over at the Victoria Times-Colonist today:
In the anti-STV article by Bob Plecas Sunday, he provided a fascinating analogy between hockey playoffs and STV. It would apply perfectly in the U.S., which has a two-party system. In B.C. we have three or more parties running. The analogy breaks down when there are four teams out on the ice at the same time.
Now Smarties or gummy bears, they play an entirely different game AND they allow more than two teams!


BC-STV, the Smartier Way to Vote from Reena Meijer Drees on Vimeo.

No gummy bears were harmed in the making of the following video.


Gummie Bears for BC-STV from Grant Fraser on Vimeo.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Letter to Editor, Cowichan NewsLeader

The following response appeared in the April 22nd edition of the Cowichan NewsLeader. No online versions of the response or original article are available.

Dear Editor:

After reading Patrick Hrushowy's column (STV will add to confusion of voting, government, April 18), I didn't know whether to laugh out loud or scream. I ended up doing both. How stupid does Hrushowy think British Columbians are?

No one arguing in support of the Single Transferable Vote (BC-STV) is claiming it will correct everything that is wrong with our politics and government. However, changing the way we elect our MLAs is one crucial, giant step. Unlike the current first-past-the-post voting system, BC-STV will encourage more co-operation among candidates, MLAs and parties and therefore produce a less fractious political atmosphere. That, in turn, could result in more work getting done to produce policy which aligns with the values of the voting majority, not those of a minority comprised of elite special interests.

Nor will BC-STV "force an over-empowering of fringe political parties." First, how many fringe parties does Hrushowy know that can run candidates in every electoral district and have the money to fund ambitious campaigns? Second, each candidate in a BC-STV electoral district must achieve a minimum number of votes to be elected. For example, if a total of 10,000 votes are cast in an electoral district for which four MLAs are to be chosen, each of the four winning candidates must receive at least 2,001 votes. That's a lot of votes for a fringe candidate to earn.

Finally, Hrushowy calls BC-STV "complicated" and decries the "mind bending confusion" that will befall us should we choose it over the status quo. The Irish have been using STV for almost 100 years. Is he suggesting that British Columbians can't do what the Irish can?

Chrystal Ocean
Duncan

BC Civil Liberties Association Endorses BC-STV

From their media release issued April 15th:
"There are many different voting systems, all of which represent voter preferences to some extent,” says Tom Sandborn, executive board member of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. “The BCCLA believes that STV strikes a better balance between local representation, proportionality and voter choice than first-past-the-post."

...The BCCLA acknowledges that there are many different potential voting systems, but has chosen to endorse STV over the current First Past the Post system because the results of the STV system more closely reflect the actual voting preferences of British Columbians.

“The systems we choose to govern ourselves should seek to maximize a citizen’s ability to participate effectively in the democratic process,” said Sandborn.

VIDEO: Dennis Pilon, STV Explained

This video, by Lazarus Productions is airing at various times on Shaw Cable, channel 11 in Victoria and Saltspring Island, channel 4 in Duncan and the Cowichan Valley.

If you are interested in the Single Transferable Vote (BC-STV) - the new system recommended by the Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform which is being offered to voters in the referendum on May 12th - Professor Dennis Pilon has lots of information for you: how it works, what are the benefits, and what are the problems with the current First Past the Post system...

What about coalition governments? Has STV ever been used in Canada? If you have questions, he has the answers...

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Single Transferable Vote vs. First Past the Post

... or, BC voters (65% and rising!) vs. David Schreck.

The following was received by the Georgia Straight on April 17th. It was written in response to a column by David Schreck, one of the lead proponents of retaining the first-past-the-post system. (Read the comments below Schreck's column. The pro-STV side vastly outnumbers the pro-FPTP side - in fact, at time of this writing, only two comments are pro-FPTP and they're by the same person.)

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I am a proud Canadian and a proud British Columbian. We live in a place where the future is embraced, where taking a leadership role is considered the way to go, and where the passionate exchange of ideas is considered a part of everyday life. So when I read David Schreck's article ["Adopting STV could make B.C. politics worse", April 16], my first thought was. No, really? Really?

In cancer care, HIV policy, the environment, wellness—and many other issues—we are well in front of much of the world. But we're also trapped in an inflexible electoral system that puts ultimate political power in the hands of party leaders. No, not party grassroots: leaders. Any party in power can pick an eejit insider and we're stuck with them if they've got a majority until the next election. And when the leader of the opposition is a knucklehead, our adversarial political system falls down like a broken bicycle.

I have family in Ireland, the U.K., the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. Each of those countries have aspects of their political culture that are good or bad. In the UK it's still first past the post (FPTP), but most parliamentary votes are conscience votes; in the U.S., ditto, except all votes are "free votes."

Australia compels voters to rank all candidates or to select a single party: if you're inclined to rank up to 75 candidates for six senate seats it's great...but if you only choose one party, they can sell your vote to another one—even one you'd never vote for. New Zealand has mixed-member proportional, which does adjust the number of seats based on overall party support: it does this, however, by giving parties seats without constituencies, whose seat holders are wholly beholden to the party leadership. More party power as a tradeoff for proportionality.

Ireland has STV; ditto Malta. Ireland has had it since the '20s and routinely produces stable coalition governments. Malta has used STV since the '70s and still hasn't sent a single third party candidate to parliament. Funny that Schreck uses Malta to prove his point, when it disproves it: voters there are split between two major parties and those two parties split the seats proportionately. Ireland elects smaller parties and independent all the time, by the way.

What Schreck doesn't acknowledge is that no one needs to do anything differently if they don't want to under STV. You like FPTP, vote for one candidate. You want to rank all candidates, go for it; if you only want to rank five, go for it.

Every single person I know would like to be able to consider sending a strong local advocate or a Green or Conservative some support, but under FPTP that has almost always been a wasted vote. Whatever party I've supported in the past, I don't want any party given the keys to Lotus Land when they haven't earned a clear majority of our support. STV would reduce the likelihood of that happening. And a few more voices would probably get into the Legislative Assembly, and anything that broadens our embarrassing left/right socialist/free enterprise political discourse could only be a very good thing for B.C.

If you want change, vote yes to STV. If you want things to stay the same, vote yes.

> John P. Egan / Vancouver

Thursday, April 16, 2009

VIDEO: Antony Hodgson Explains BC-STV

... and why he's working so hard to ensure BC gets a new, fairer voting system.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Poll: 65% of British Columbians Favour BC-STV

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Poll: 65 per cent of British Columbians support BC-STV
Younger voters overwhelming in their support

Vancouver, B.C. – The numbers are in and British Columbia voters are giving a big thumbs up to electoral reform with 65 per cent saying they will vote for BC-STV in the upcoming referendum on May 12. That is the top line result of a major survey conducted by Angus Reid Strategies. Support for a new way of electing our MLAs is particularly strong among younger voters – those 18 to 34 – at 74 per cent.

“The survey results indicate that British Columbians and particularly younger voters are ready to embrace a new electoral system in British Columbia,” said Catherine Rogers, vice president, Angus Reid Strategies. “A large majority are looking for electoral change and want an electoral system that is fair and that elects MLAs who are more accountable to them.”

When presented with the question that will appear on the ballot, 65 per cent said yes to BC-STV while only 35 per cent chose to keep the current first-past-the post system. Angus Reid Strategies conducted the online survey March 9 to 12 and polled 702 British Columbians across the province. While support for BC-STV continues to grow, awareness of the upcoming referendum is at 44 per cent.

The campaign team leading the charge to adopt BC-STV is working hard across the province to raise awareness of the ballot question and to encourage all British Columbians to learn about BC-STV and join the discussion about electoral reform.

“Building awareness is key for us. When the Citizens’ Assembly was formed in 2003, its mandate was to make sure we had an electoral system that was fair and representative of the voters’ wishes,” said Shoni Field, a former member of the Citizens’ Assembly. “The more we researched different systems the more support there was for this particular one. When our group of 160 average British Columbians were fully aware of the issue, 95 per cent of us backed BC-STV.”

“To win, we will need voters to turn out in big numbers on election day, and there are groups that have a traditionally low voter turnout who could be the difference, such as people under 34 and people who are so fed up with the current system that they sometimes don’t vote at all,” continued Field. “Fortunately, President Barak Obama has inspired a lot of these voters that change is possible. If they vote on May 12, we could see historic change in BC.”

On May 12, in a province wide referendum on electoral reform, voters will have a chance to change the way politicians are elected. British Columbians will choose between the current “first-past-the-post” system and the STV system that was recommended overwhelmingly by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform in 2004. In the last election, BC-STV received more votes than any political party, nearly 58 per cent. However, the referendum requires 60 per cent approval to be adopted.

More information about the STV system and how British Columbians can get involved in the campaign is available at www.stv.ca or by calling 1-866-835-7612

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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Team Mid-Island at Duncan Farmers Market

Our first photo shows three members of the Mid-Island team, on location near the Duncan Farmers Market, April 11th. Look at those happy faces! We're energized and enthusiastic about spreading the Power Up Your Vote! message.

Saturday started out as a cold, blustery day. Then the sun cast its warm rays upon our heads and a collective "aaahhhh" was heard.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Electoral Reform On The Move

The electoral reform movement is building and there's excitement in the air! Witness the following exciting news from Fair Vote Canada.

24 Days to Victory: register now for the April 18 AGM in Vancouver
The first Fair Vote Canada AGM to be held in British Columbia takes place on Saturday, April 18, at the Segal Business School in downtown Vancouver. The AGM theme is “24 Days to Victory”, indicating the countdown to the critically important BC-STV referendum on May 12.

Our eighth annual meeting will feature a great line-up of speakers, including Rafe Mair, Rick Anderson, Judy Rebick, Jim Harris, as well as BC-STV campaign leaders.

See the full agenda and online registration form at www.fairvotecanada.eventbrite.com. We hope to see all of our British Columbia members and many others at this important event to support the BC-STV campaign.

BC-STV campaign rolling ahead: please donate and volunteer
The BC-STV campaign is now in high-gear. Regional organizers and committees are in place, additional campaign staff are being hired, materials are being prepared and distributed. If you are in BC or elsewhere, please visit www.stv.ca. If you can volunteer, please sign up now. Wherever you live: please donate to help win this nationally significant referendum.

Facebook enthusiasts can check out a number of related Facebook groups: Yes for BC-STV (the main campaign group), Friends of BC-STV (set up for supporters outside of BC), New Democrats for BC-STV, plus other regional BC-STV groups throughout BC.

BC-STV cross-country house parties
Kenn Fisher, who serves on the executive of the Toronto Chapter wants electoral reformers in all parts of the country to organize BC-STV house parties on a designated day to show our support and help raise money for the BC campaign. Stay tuned for more details or contact Kenn at kenneth.fisher@utoronto.ca.

Allan Blakeney, Nancy Ruth, Stephen Owen join FVC Advisory Board
The FVC National Council is pleased to announce the appointment of three more people to the FVC National Advisory Board: Allan Blakeney, former NDP premier of Saskatchewan and past president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association; Senator Nancy Ruth of the Conservative Party, and founder of the Canadian Women’s Foundation; and Stephen Owen, former Liberal MP and cabinet minister, and currently the Vice President for External, Legal and Community Relations, University of British Columbia.

The National Advisory Board now has a total of 37 distinguished Canadians who support the fair voting movement.

New chapters formed in three provinces
The fair voting movement continues to spread across the country. The FVC National Council has recently welcomed three new chapters: Fair Vote Canada, Saskatchewan Chapter; Fair Vote Canada, New Brunswick Chapter; and Fair Vote Canada, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chapter.

Sell-out crowd at Toronto electoral reform forum
Fair Vote Ontario organizers were delighted by the great response to their January 21 forum in Toronto: “Moving Forward on Electoral Reform”. The forum organizers had to cut off registration several days in advance because the demand was exceeding the size of the 175 seat conference room.

For those who did attend, the event was very informative, interesting and motivating. Among the many highlights was the final panel addressing “How I would put electoral reform back on the national agenda”. Journalist Andrew Coyne, Greenpeace executive director Bruce Cox, and former Green Party leader Jim Harris provided a rousing end to a great day.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

BCCA Alumnus Speaks from the Heart

The following presentation was by Brooke Bannister, a former member of the BC Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the BCCAER and conference on BC-STV which took place January 2009.

Hope. My dictionary defines it as "to intend with some possibility of fulfillment." It’s been written about, talked about and sung about since we inhabited this great planet.

Emily Dickenson wrote
Hope is the thing with feathers;
That perches in the soul;
And sings the tunes without the words;
And never stops at all.

Joseph Addison quipped: “The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.“

And from Christopher Reeve: “Once you choose hope, anything's possible.”

So, when I think of all the things we’re trying to do at this Conference, I think it’s mainly to sell hope to the BC voter. It’s hope that from May 13, 2009 on, voters will have a more direct say in what our politicians do … before, during, and after an election.

This is why this campaign is so important. And why we must have the following focuses when tackling this job: more positive action and less negative distraction … more on the future and less about the past … more focus about how many spirits we’re going to rise as opposed to how much money we’re going to raise … more about the Citizens’ Assembly and less about the Legislative Assembly. We need more passion and less inaction … more information about Ireland and less about any other land. We need more Shoni Fields and less Bill Tieleman. In other words, more yea-sayers and less nay-sayers.

Once we do all of these positive things, democracy will prevail on May 12. Then we can promise ourselves and fellow British Columbians a future with much more than greater choice, fairer results, and better local representation. We’ll get legislatures with greater proportion and less distortion … more democracy and less hypocrisy … more optimism and less cynicism … more diversity and less perversity … and more independents and less co-dependents … government by coalition instead of constant competition … and maybe best of all, more women and less men.

When I wake up May 13, I want to feel like our democracy was given a new lease on life. This is our chance to make history … not just for British Columbia, but for all of Canada as well. (Do you have any doubt that when BC votes for a unique, new voting system, the rest of Canada will be watching and taking notes?)

The BC-STV Vote isn't just a referendum for an electoral system. This is our Barack Obama, our Nelson Mandela, our beacon of hope from a world scarred by political misuse and mistrust. Somehow we've lost respect for the process and the people in it, and I sincerely hope this is a way to get it back.

We’re not doing this for ourselves; we’re doing it for our kids and grandkids, and their kids and grandkids. Let’s make them proud. Let’s give them hope.

This, my Dear Friends, is a battle we can’t afford to lose.

The world is watching.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

FAQ: What are the benefits of STV over FPTP?

STV delivers near proportionality, thus fairer results. That is, it obtains a close match between the percentage of the popular vote and the percentage of seats a party gets.

STV allows more voter choice and more MLAs to turn to for better representation.

STV creates more competition among candidates, even within a party, and reduces the number of 'safe seats’, thus providing more accountability.

STV allows fewer wasted votes. It therefore reduces the need for strategic voting and the problem of vote splitting.

FAQ: How did it all begin?

The stimulus to initiate electoral reform was the skewed results of past elections.

In 1996, the NDP won a majority government despite having a lower percent of the popular vote than the Liberals.

In 2001, the Liberals won 97 percent of the seats with 57 percent of the popular vote.

The Liberals created the BC Citizens’ Assembly to look at electoral reform. The BCCA recommended BC-STV over the current system of First Past the Post (FPTP) based on 95 percent support of BCCA members.

FAQ: How does BC-STV work?

Rather than marking an X by a single candidate, one can rank more candidates in a multi-member district by marking 1, 2, 3, and so on.

Current ridings are combined to form larger districts with multiple MLAs.

The voter can rank as many or as few candidates as he/she wants, stay within party lines or go beyond. It’s the voter’s choice.

The total number of MLAs does not change. The number of MLAs per area and the number of MLAs per person remains unchanged.

If your first choice has more than he or she needs to be elected, the surplus portion of your vote is transferred to your second choice. If your first choice has been eliminated, because he or she has the fewest number of votes, then your vote is transferred at full value to your second choice.

FAQ: What is BC-STV?

STV stands for Single Transferable Vote, a proportional system of electoral reform which delivers near proportional results, local representation and more choice for voters.

The Referendum upcoming on May 12th is a return of the 2005 Referendum question.

It is back by popular demand, since last time British Columbians voted 58 percent in favour of BC-STV, two percentage points shy of the 60 percent required by the BC government.

Why "Mid-Island"?

The Yes for BC-STV campaign is organized around the 20 provincial ridings which will exist if British Columbians vote in favour of BC-STV.

Under the current Single Member Plurality system (commonly referred to as First-Past-the-Post), voters may choose only one candidate and only one candidate will ultimately be elected in each of the 85 ridings.

The total number of members elected to the legislature, 85, would not change under BC-STV. What would change is how we vote for candidates, the number of candidates we can vote for, and how many MLAs can be elected in each of the 20 ridings.

Under BC-STV, the Mid-Island riding would bring together the four current ridings of Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo-North Cowichan, Nanaimo and Parksville-Qualicum. Since four of the old ridings would be collected into one, voters would elect four MLAs. These MLAs would represent Mid-Island constituents in the legislature. Thus in the move to BC-STV, we lose nothing in representation and we gain proportionality in the legislature in accordance with the way we voted.