Canada's voting system (and how changing it would affect this election)

Summary

This video explores Canada's current voting system, First-Past-the-Post, which often results in a candidate winning without a majority of votes. The pros include stability, but the cons involve voter dissatisfaction, as a significant portion of votes may not count towards the winner. The video contrasts this with proportional representation, where votes are more accurately reflected in seat allocations. It highlights a hypothetical election scenario under both systems, showing how proportional representation could lead to a more diverse and reflective government. The video asks viewers to consider which system is best for Canada.

Takeaways

• 😀 The current voting system in Canada is First Past the Post (FPTP), where the candidate with the most votes in a riding wins, even if they don't secure a majority.
• 😀 First Past the Post system is often compared to a horse race, where only the first to cross the finish line wins and all other candidates lose.
• 😀 One advantage of First Past the Post is that it typically provides more political stability compared to systems that may lead to coalition governments.
• 😀 A disadvantage of FPTP is that candidates do not need an absolute majority (50%+1) of votes to win, leading to situations where many voters may not have voted for the winning candidate.
• 😀 In a hypothetical example, a candidate winning with 38% of the vote might still represent a riding even if 62% of voters preferred other candidates.
• 😀 Critics argue that FPTP can discourage voter engagement, as people may feel that their vote doesn’t make a difference if their preferred candidate isn't in the lead.
• 😀 Proportional Representation (PR) is often suggested as an alternative, where all votes contribute to the election result, not just those in favor of the winning candidate.
• 😀 Proportional Representation leads to a party's share of seats more accurately reflecting their share of the popular vote, unlike FPTP.
• 😀 Under PR, results from polling data show that party seat distribution would change, with the Greens gaining more seats and the Liberals and NDP gaining fewer compared to FPTP.
• 😀 The proposed PR system would result in the Conservatives holding 121 seats, with the Liberals at 101, NDP at 85, the Bloc Québécois at 16, and the Greens at 15 seats.
• 😀 The script encourages reflection on which voting system is the best for Canada, given the trade-offs between First Past the Post and Proportional Representation.

Q & A

What voting system is currently used in Canada?

Canada currently uses the 'first-past-the-post' voting system, where the candidate with the most votes in a riding wins, even without a majority.

What does the phrase 'first-past-the-post' refer to?

'First-past-the-post' is a term borrowed from horse racing, where the first horse to pass the finish line wins. In politics, it means the candidate with the most votes wins, and all other candidates lose.

What is a major benefit of the first-past-the-post system?

A major benefit of first-past-the-post is that it tends to provide more stability, preventing the need for coalition governments, which are more common in other voting systems.

What is a drawback of the first-past-the-post system?

A major drawback is that candidates do not need a majority of votes (over 50%) to win. This can result in a candidate winning despite the majority of voters not supporting them.

Can you provide a hypothetical example of how first-past-the-post works?

In a hypothetical scenario, Candidate A gets 15%, B gets 38%, C gets 25%, and D gets 22%. Despite 62% of voters not wanting Candidate B, they would still win and represent the riding.

How does first-past-the-post affect voter engagement?

First-past-the-post can discourage voter engagement because it often makes people feel that their vote doesn't count if their preferred candidate doesn't win.

What is proportional representation, and how does it differ from first-past-the-post?

Proportional representation is a voting system where all votes contribute to the election result, and a party’s share of seats in government more closely reflects its share of the popular vote, unlike first-past-the-post.

What are the expected results under proportional representation based on polling data?

Under proportional representation, the conservatives would still form a minority government, but with fewer seats. The liberals, NDP, block, and greens would see different seat allocations, with the greens gaining more seats.

How would the election results change under proportional representation compared to first-past-the-post?

Under proportional representation, the Conservatives would still be the largest party but with fewer seats, and the Greens would see a significant increase in seats from 1 to 15.

What is the key argument in favor of proportional representation?

Proponents argue that proportional representation ensures that all votes contribute to the election result, giving a more accurate reflection of public support for each party.