Tag Archives: electoral reform

“One vote more then everyone else and you’re everything. One vote less then anyone else and you are nothing.” Barry Aulis

This is the logic of the First Past The Post electoral system and the recount in Terrebonne literally just proved that statement!

With the Dual Electoral System 3 candidates would have been elected in Terrebonne; the Liberal, Bloc, and Conservative candidates. Depending on how the 3 remaining candidates transfer their votes, the Riding’s 3 MPs would have the following votes when the House of Commons is in legislative session.

Tatiana Auguste: 23,352 to 25,966

Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné: 23,351 to 25,965

Adrienne Charles: 10,961 to 13,575

My own Riding of Compton-Stanstead would have the same result; the Liberal, Bloc, and Conservative candidates being elected with the NDP, Green, and People’s Party candidates transferring their votes to one of the 3 elected candidates.

Again “try it before you buy it” form the House Advisory Council composed of the top 2 candidates in each Riding with the 3^rd and 4^th if they got 5% of the vote. The remaining candidates transfer their votes to one of the candidates from their Riding who did get elected. They also have the option of no transfer in which case those votes disappear and don’t count towards deciding what bills get passed in legislative session.

If the Dual Electoral System was adopted reduce the number of Ridings to 300 giving you 600 to 1200 MPs of which only 300 sit in the House these are the Sitting Members of the House the rest are Non Sitting Members of the House. You could half the number of Ridings to 150 giving you 300 to 600 MPs of which again 300 would be Sitting Members and the rest being Non Sitting Members.

The Original version of the Dual Electoral System had the top 2 in each Riding being elected and the rest transferring their votes to one of these elected candidates. Hence if you keep the same number of Ridings you will double the number of members. Keep the same number of MPs and you half the number of Ridings thus doubling the number of voters each has and increasing their area covered.