Single Transferable Vote Canada Blog

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It's not 1923, or is it?

It's not 1923, or is it?

A Snapshot of History Photo credit: Fair Vote Canada. One of the things that frustrates me the most about this cause is that every time there is a new group of politicians, they get to start the learning all over again - same questions, same issues... This issue is not new, and all these questions have been asked and answered time again, but it's always new to them. To put this decision about electoral reform in perspective, let's rewind about 100 years. In 1919, MacKenzie

Is PR-STV proportional? (Yes).

Is PR-STV proportional? (Yes).

We hear quite frequently in the media and even from organizations with a history of campaigning for electoral reform that "STV is not proportional." For example, CUPE, who is part of the Every Vote Counts Alliance for PR, recently passed a resolution that stated they plan to: "Oppose ranked ballots, preferential ballots and other single transferable vote systems and work to ensure that members and the general public understand that they are not true proportional representatio

"Back to the Future" - STV and Local Representation

"Back to the Future" - STV and Local Representation

Here's a lighter take on my last blog, in which I copied a summary of the latest report from the Electoral Reform Society in the UK basically putting to bed the anti-PR myth that STV harms local representation. Nothing captures the "local service" angle better than this video. This is a campaign video for Marty Heydon, who ran for re-election as a TD (like our MPs) in Ireland for Fine Gael in the constituency of Kildare South. Fine Gael is one of Ireland's two main political

Is STV "too complicated"?

Is STV "too complicated"?

A reaction I hear a lot when I mention STV is that it's "too complicated." Although I find this frustrating, I understand. I used to believe that, too. My Personal Experience When I discovered the concept of proportional representation - that 30% of the vote should earn a party about 30% of the seats and my vote should count - I was initially in touch with PR supporters who mainly advocated for Mixed Member Proportional (a system I would also still support). When you're stand

A new report about STV and local representation

A new report about STV and local representation

Instead of writing my own blog this time, I wanted to share a new report just released by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) in the UK, titled "The 2016 Irish General Election: PR and the Local Link." You know how we are sometimes told by politicians that we can have environmental protection OR a prosperous economy? As if it's one or the other? Most of us know that dichotomy is false, and the perpetuation of it by opponents has held up progress. It's very similar with proport

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