What is an electoral system and why should I care about it?
The electoral system is the process that
translates votes into representation (usually as seats in the elected
legislature). In Canada, we give the seat to the candidate who earns the
most votes. The party that wins the most seats (usually a majority)
usually ends up forming the government. This is only one possible way of
determining election outcomes. The reason electoral systems matter is that
different systems produce different outcomes, even with the same number of
votes.
For example, Table 1 shows the actual
seat results for the 2000 federal election under Canada’s current
electoral system.
Table 1: 2000 Canadian Federal Election Results under Canada’s Electoral System
|
Province |
Liberal |
Alliance |
Bloc Quebecois |
NDP |
PC |
|
BC |
5 |
27 |
|
2 |
|
|
Alberta |
2 |
23 |
|
|
1 |
|
Saskatchewan |
2 |
10 |
|
2 |
|
|
Manitoba |
5 |
4 |
|
4 |
1 |
|
Ontario |
100 |
2 |
|
1 |
|
|
Quebec |
36 |
|
38 |
|
1 |
|
Nova Scotia |
4 |
|
|
3 |
4 |
|
New Brunswick |
6 |
|
|
1 |
3 |
|
PEI |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
Newfoundland |
5 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
North |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
172 |
66 |
38 |
13 |
12 |
Table Two: 2000 Canadian Federal Election Results under a Hypothetical System of Proportional Representation
|
Province |
Liberal |
Alliance |
BQ |
PC |
NDP |
Green |
Marijuana Party |
|
BC |
10 |
17 |
|
2 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
Alberta |
6 |
16 |
|
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
Saskatchewan |
3 |
7 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
Manitoba |
5 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
|
|
|
Ontario |
53 |
25 |
|
15 |
9 |
1 |
|
|
Quebec |
34 |
5 |
30 |
4 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Nova Scotia |
4 |
2 |
|
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
New Brunswick |
4 |
1 |
|
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
PEI |
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Newfoundland |
3 |
|
|
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
North |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
127 |
77 |
30 |
37 |
27 |
2 |
1 |
As you can see from this example, the use
of different electoral systems can result in radically different seat
shares for parties. Electoral systems matter; debates over which system to
use can often become heated because they will have a strong influence over
the character of the country’s politics.
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