Electoral Reform National Dialogue INFORMATION BOOKLET

Electoral Reform National Dialogue INFORMATION BOOKLET

Thank you for joining us in this historic dialogue. Federal electoral reform in Canada Canada is a great nation with a rich democratic history, and we have an opportunity to both honour that history while also making improvements that will ensure a healthy and vibrant democracy for generations to come. By being actively engaged in this national dialogue about how to improve the functioning of our democratic institutions, you are playing a key role in supporting, and protecting, Canada s democratic values. For this, I thank you. There are multiple options before us, and we do not all agree about the best way forward--this is why these consultations are so important. We need to come together and engage from a place that values Canadians as individuals who bring a broad range of ideas and opinions to the debate. My goal is to make sure that Canadians have access to open, respectful, and meaningful engagement with the dialogue on electoral reform. Your voice matters, and participation is not limited to this event. Please remain involved in this dialogue by sharing your thoughts and comments with your Member of Parliament, with the Special Committee on Electoral Reform and by engaging others in discussions about how our electoral processes affect the daily lives of all Canadians. You can also join the online dialogue taking place on social media. Again, thank you for your commitment t to making our democracy even stronger, The House of Commons has given the Special Committee on Electoral Reform the task of leading a national consultation process on Canadian federal electoral reform in 2016. Canadians have the opportunity to participate in this national dialogue and shape our future electoral system at the federal level. Why Canadian federal electoral reform matters Federal electoral reform is part of the Government s stronger democracy agenda. Canadians expect greater inclusion, transparency, meaningful engagement and modernization from their public institutions. Federal electoral reform is part of the Government s commitment to change. Canada has a strong and deeply rooted democracy. One way to protect our democratic values is by continuously seeking to improve the functioning of our democratic institutions including our voting system. Guiding Principles Effectiveness and legitimacy Restore the effectiveness and legitimacy of voting, such as by reducing distortions and strengthening the link between voter intention and the electoral result; Engagement Encourage greater engagement and participation in the democratic process, including by underrepresented groups; Accessibility and inclusiveness Support accessibility and inclusiveness of all eligible voters, and avoiding undue complexity in the voting process; Integrity Safeguard the integrity of our voting process; Local representation Preserve the accountability of local representation. Why are these principles important? The principles were identifi ed as a means to encourage a thoughtful, substantive dialogue about what Canadians expect from their electoral system. Potential changes to Canada s federal electoral system can be assessed through questions such as: reforms strengthen effectiveness and legitimacy by better refl ecting the democratic will of Canadians? reforms foster civility, cohesion and openness in politics that will help encourage Canadians to take part? reforms enhance the sense among Canadians that they can contribute to, participate in and infl uence politics? reforms support accessibility and inclusiveness for all Canadians in our diverse society? reforms ensure that Canadians can trust election results? reforms affect MPs accountability to citizens? 2 11

About the Special Committee on Electoral Reform The Special Committee on Electoral Reform is studying different federal electoral reforms and consulting Canadians. Based on their work, they will issue a report to the House of Commons with recommendations on federal electoral reform by December 1, 2016. The Committee is comprised of 12 Members of Parliament from all fi ve parties with members elected to the House of Commons. Committee mandate The committee will: identify and study viable alternatives to the current federal electoral system, including preferential ballots and proportional representation, as well as mandatory and online voting; consider potential changes to the federal electoral system against fi ve guiding principles; conduct meaningful and extensive consultations with Canadians, through cross-country travel, written submissions and online engagement opportunities; invite all Members of Parliament to hold town halls with their constituents and issue a report to the committee from each of the 338 constituencies across Canada; and study and advise on additional methods for obtaining the views of Canadians. In addition, the House of Commons has asked that the committee develop its consultation agenda, working methods, and recommendations on electoral reform with the goal of strengthening the inclusion of all Canadians in our diverse society, including women, Indigenous Peoples, youth, seniors, Canadians with disabilities, new Canadians, and residents of rural and remote communities. Ask the committee a question on Twitter with: #ERRE #Q Learn more about the ERRE Committee by visiting: http://www.parl.gc.ca/committees/en/erre watch the hearings live fi nd out how to attend an event read or watch past meetings request to appear as a witness view travel schedule submit a brief The House of Commons has given the Special Committee on Electoral Reform the task of leading a national consultation process on Canadian federal electoral reform in 2016. Canadians have the opportunity to participate in this national dialogue and shape our future electoral system at the federal level. The federal electoral system matters in the everyday lives of Canadians. The electoral system is more than vote casting and counting it is a way for Canadians to infl uence their future, give their consent to be governed, and hold their representatives accountable. From the electoral process fl ow many debates, votes and laws that impact the everyday lives of Canadians. These debates, votes and laws affect the economy, the well-being of our families and children, and the health and vibrancy of our communities. That s why Canadian federal electoral reform matters. This is your opportunity to participate in a historic national dialogue about our democracy. Engaging Canadians Our goal is to provide every Canadian an equal opportunity to participate in this process, to ensure all voices are heard. We want to encourage the inclusion of all Canadians in our diverse society, including women, Indigenous Peoples, youth, seniors, Canadians with disabilities, new Canadians and residents of rural and remote communities. We invite all Canadians to join the conversation: explore the principles and values that shape our democracy, learn more about the different electoral systems, and discuss the ways we can participate in voting. This is an exciting opportunity for community members to discuss and share their views on electoral reform with each other and the government. Host your own dialogue on Electoral Reform Everything you need to know to host your own dialogue on Electoral Reform can be found in our guide. Download at: Canada.ca/democracy Stay Connected @CdnDemocracy #CdnDemocracy facebook.com/cdndemocracy web Canada.ca/democracy 10 3

Electoral Systems Changing Canada s federal electoral system Alternative electoral systems Our Current Federal Electoral System First-Past-the-Post Alternative electoral systems to FPTP can be grouped into three broad families: majority systems; proportional representation systems; and mixed electoral systems Our current electoral system at the federal level is First-Pastthe-Post (FPTP) Fig. A. FPTP is a plurality system. Under FPTP, an elector casts a single vote for a candidate to represent the electoral district in which the voter resides. The winning candidate must win the most votes though not necessarily a majority. Changing Canada s federal electoral system would change how federal elections work and how our federal government works. For example, different reforms might change: WHO YOU VOTE FOR You could vote for: an individual candidate; a political party; or in some systems, both. You could: pick just one candidate on the ballot, like we do now; rank the candidates your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and last choice; or choose multiple candidates without ranking them. HOW YOU VOTE Today, most of us vote in person by pencil and paper, either on election day itself or in the advance polls in the days beforehand. Many people also use special ballots, which are mailed in. Introducing new technologies at the polls could pave the way for online voting in the future. WHO VOTES Voting could be made compulsory, like in Australia. Fig. B Alternative Vote HOW YOU ARE REPRESENTED What and who a Member of Parliament represents could change: your electoral district could continue to have one Member of Parliament (MP); or you could have larger areas that are represented by multiple MPs. HOW MUCH SUPPORT IS REQUIRED TO WIN A SEAT The percentage of votes needed for a candidate or political party to win a seat could vary: certain systems require at least 50% support; or in other systems, the threshold for winning could be much lower. HOW ELECTION OUTCOMES ARE DECIDED How votes are counted and translated into seats could change. This could infl uence: The chances of having a majority government as some systems produce majorities more often while others produce minority or coalition governments more often. The number and range of political parties that hold seats in the House of Commons as some systems could permit smaller political parties to gain more seats, which could encourage the creation of more political parties. 4 9

Mixed Electoral Systems Mixed electoral systems combine elements of a plurality or majority system with elements of proportional representation. Citizens in a riding cast two votes: one to directly elect an individual member to serve as their representative, and a second for a political party or parties to fi ll seats in the legislature allocated according to the proportion of the vote share they receive. Examples of mixed electoral systems include Mixed Member Majoritarian (MMM), which is a semi-proportional system, and Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) Fig. E, which is a proportional system. Fig. A First-Past-The-Post Fig. E Mixed Member Proportional For more information about Canada s current federal electoral system, check out How Canadians Govern Themselves on the Library of Parliament website: http:// www.lop.parl.gc.ca/about/parliament/senatoreugeneforsey/home/index-e.html Majority Systems In majority electoral systems, the winning candidate is the individual who gets a majority (over 50%) of the votes cast. This system can be designed in different ways. For example, the system could allow voters to rank the candidates running in their electoral district in order of their preference. If no candidate receives a majority of votes on the fi rst count, the lowest candidate is dropped and the second-preference votes for that candidate are assigned to the respective remaining candidates. This process continues until one candidate receives the necessary majority. Another example is a system in which there are two election days, generally weeks apart. In this type of electoral system, if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the fi rst round, there is a second election with only the top two candidates from the fi rst election result. The candidate with the higher number of votes in the second round is elected. Examples of majority systems include Alternative Vote (AV) Fig.B and Run-off (or Two- Round) System. 8 5

Proportional Representation Systems As its name suggests, proportional representation (PR) systems seek to closely match a political party s vote share with its seat allocation in the legislature. PR systems tend to vary and the method for calculating seat distribution can range from simple to complex. Proportional representation systems are not based on single-member constituencies. Citizens generally vote for more than one candidate or for a political party. Examples of proportional representation systems include Single Transferable Vote (STV) Fig. C and List Proportional Representation (List PR) Fig. D. Fig. D List Proportional Representation Fig. C Single Transferable Vote 6 7