ERRE Committee Report
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APPENDIX E: E-CONSULTATION ON ELECTORAL REFORMIntroduction and Consent FormThe House of Commons has created a Special Committee on Electoral Reform to identify viable alternative federal voting systems to replace the first-past-the-post system and to conduct a study of them, as well as to examine mandatory voting and online voting. As part of its mandate, the Committee is using various tools and methods to consult with Canadians. This e-consultation is one such consultation tool intended to solicit Canadians’ views both on voting and on the election of Members of Parliament. The Committee’s report to the House of Commons will take into consideration the results of this consultation. What to ExpectBefore completing the e-consultation, you will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with background material on electoral systems. If you consent to participate in this e-consultation, you can expect to complete the questionnaire within approximately 30 minutes. You do not need to complete the questionnaire in one sitting. You can interrupt the e-consultation at any question, save your work, and return to it at a later time. If you plan to complete the e-consultation in more than one sitting, it is recommended that you bookmark this webpage. Until you complete the entire questionnaire and submit your responses, you can use the 'Previous' and 'Next' buttons at the bottom of each page to review your answers. Use the 'Submit' button at the end of the questionnaire to submit your completed e-consultation. ContactIf you have any questions regarding this e-consultation or experience difficulties with the content or functionalities of the website, please contact the Clerks of the Committee at ERRE@parl.gc.ca. Statement of ConsentI understand that my participation in this e-consultation on electoral reform is entirely voluntary. By participating in the e-consultation I consent to the use and disclosure of submitted information as outlined in the Additional Information, E-Consultation Important Notices.
Electoral Systems 101At its most basic, an electoral system sets out how votes get translated into seats in a legislature. Some important characteristics that differentiate electoral systems from one another are these:
Electoral systems are generally grouped in three categories:
For more information on electoral reform, please consult the background paper Electoral Systems and Electoral Reform in Canada and Elsewhere: An Overview, prepared by the Library of Parliament. Respondent Identification
Your Vote
Goals of a Voting SystemThis section seeks to gauge your opinion on what an electoral system should accomplish.
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means very important.
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
Current Electoral System
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
The following questions seek your opinion on the elements of different voting systems. For more information on voting systems, please consult the Library of Parliament’s publication, Electoral Systems and Electoral Reform in Canada and Elsewhere: An Overview. Plurality or Majority SystemsIn plurality or majority electoral systems, the winning candidate is the individual who receives the most votes in an electoral district. Depending on the particular rules of the system, the winner may need to receive a plurality (more votes than the other candidates) or a majority (over 50% of the votes cast).
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
In plurality or majority electoral systems, the winning candidate is the individual who receives the most votes in an electoral district. Depending on the particular rules of the system, the winner may need to receive a plurality (or more votes than the other candidates) or a majority (over 50% of the votes cast).
As noted in the diagram, if no candidate wins a majority of the votes on the first round of counting, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated and the second- preference ballots on the votes of the eliminated candidate are reallocated to the other candidates. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority.
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
Proportional Representation SystemsProportional representation (PR) systems seek to closely match a political party’s seat allocation in the legislature with its vote share.
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
Proportional representation (PR) systems seek to closely match a political party’s vote share with its seat allocation in the legislature.
As noted in the diagram, a country using the STV electoral system is divided into multi-member electoral districts. In the diagram example, the district has three House of Commons seats. Five candidates run for the three seats in the electoral district. Voters rank them (1, 2, 3…) based on their preferences. To be elected, three candidates must meet or exceed the minimum number of votes needed based on the number of seats to be filled. This is called the “vote quota.” In the first count, a candidate who receives enough first-preference votes to reach the quota is elected. If there are still seats to be filled, a two-step count occurs. In the first step, any votes in excess of the quota are redistributed to the second preferences indicated on the ballots of the elected candidates. If no other candidates reach the quota, then the second step takes place in which the lowest-ranked candidate is dropped, and that candidate’s second-preference votes are assigned to the remaining candidates. This extra count process continues until three candidates are elected.
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
Mixed Electoral SystemsMixed electoral systems combine elements of a plurality or majority system with proportional representation.
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
Mandatory or Compulsory Voting
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Online Voting
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Moving Forward on Electoral System Reform
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
On the scale from 1 to 5, a rating of 5 means that you strongly agree.
Other (Optional) - Max. 1,000 characters Additional Comments
(Max. 1,000 characters) SubmitIn order to complete the consultation and to submit your responses, please click on the 'Submit' button below. Once the questionnaire has been submitted, you will not be able to go back to change your answers. |