Why Proportional Representation?

Proportional representation is a new way of voting – one that works for you.

For over 70 years, our voting system has worked for insiders and those who know how to use the system the best: those who have been in power the most. It isn’t fair that a government that gets 40% of the votes should get 100% of the power. The way to make voting more fair for everyone in BC is to give people a new way to vote – and that’s pro rep.

With pro rep, a party that gets 30% of the votes gets 30% of the seats in the Legislature. What BC votes for is what you get. It’s that simple.

Pro Rep Options

All three made-in-BC pro rep options would strengthen our democracy and put people first. The outcome of every option is the same: the proportion of seats a party gets equals the proportion of the vote a party receives in an election, all across the province.

1

Dual Member

In this system, voters would elect two MLAs in most ridings.

Adjacent riding would be combined so that each riding would have two MLAs, with a few rural ridings continuing to have one MLA, as they do now.

Voters would elect a candidate from the party that gets the most overall votes in each riding and would elect a second candidate based on each party’s provincial vote share and the candidates’ local support, to ensure that a party’s number of seats closely reflects their share of the overall vote.

Click here for more information.

2

Mixed Member

In this system, voters would elect over half the MLAs from single member ridings (as we do today), while the remainder would be elected among regional candidates.

Voters would continue to vote for a local candidate, and likely also a regional candidate or a preferred party.

Regional MLAs would be elected to make sure that a party’s number of seats in each region closely reflects their share of the overall vote in the region.

Click here for more information.

3

Rural Urban

In this system, voters in more urban areas would elect two or more MLAs in multimember ridings, while more rural voters would elect over half of their MLAs from local single-member ridings (as we do now) with the remainder elected from among regional candidates.

Voters in urban areas would rank their top choices in order of preference, and the top-ranked candidates would be elected.

Voters in rural areas would elect local MLAs as well as regional MLAs, in order to ensure that a party’s number of seats in each region closely reflects their share of the overall vote in the region.

Click here for more information.

How does the referendum work?

This fall’s referendum gives us the chance to vote for a better way of electing governments. In the first question, people will get to choose whether they want to replace the status quo with proportional representation. Voters can vote on the first question only, to choose pro rep – and that’s it. If voters want to help choose the kind of pro rep they want, they can vote for that, too. Voters will have a chance to affirm their choice after two elections. No jurisdiction that has moved to proportional representation has gone back to first-past-the-post.

Endorsers

Libby Davies
Libby Davies
Former MP, Vancouver East and former Vancouver City Councilor
Kishone Roy
Kishone Roy
Housing advocate
Elizabeth Cull
Elizabeth Cull
former MLA
Sarah Blyth
Sarah Blyth
Independent Candidate for Vancouver City Council
Greg Powell
Greg Powell
Minister, Castlegar United Church
Aran Armutlu
Aran Armutlu
Chairperson, BC Federation of Students
Josie Osborne
Josie Osborne
Mayor of Tofino, BC
Simka Marshall
Simka Marshall
Ahousaht First Nation, student
Bob Ransford
Bob Ransford
Urban Development Specialist, Urbanist
Adriane Carr
Adriane Carr
Vancouver City Councilor
Eric Swanson
Eric Swanson
Geomicrobiology grad turned advocate
Sharon Gregson
Sharon Gregson
Child care advocate
Jo-Ann Roberts
Jo-Ann Roberts
Deputy Leader, Green Party of Canada
Jennifer Breakspear
Jennifer Breakspear
Executive Director, Portland Hotel Society Community Services Society
Dan Mangan
Dan Mangan
JUNO award-winning musician, songwriter
Amandeep Singh
Amandeep Singh
Human and civil right lawyer
Hannah Askew
Hannah Askew
Executive Director, Sierra Club BC
David Boyd
David Boyd
Reverend, Nelson United Church
Khelsilem
Khelsilem
Elected Councilor, Squamish Nation
Megan Dias
Megan Dias
Researcher, Politics & Community
Jocelyn Macdougall
Jocelyn Macdougall
Convener, facilitator, musician
Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
CEO, Board Member, Strategic Advisor, Founder Nowpublic
Terry Dance-Bennink
Terry Dance-Bennink
Retired Post-Secondary Administrator, full-time volunteer
Bruce Bidgood
Bruce Bidgood
Chair, Terrace Chapter: Council of Canadians
Christine Boyle
Christine Boyle
United Church Minister, Vancouver City Councilor
Corky Evans
Corky Evans
Former MLA, Nelson-Creston
Glen Hansman
Glen Hansman
President, BC Teachers' Federation
Seth Klein
Seth Klein
BC Director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Nick Loenen
Nick Loenen
Former BC MLA, Social Credit Party
Katherine Ramdeen
Katherine Ramdeen
Actor, Independent Vancouver Council Candidate
Diego Cardona
Diego Cardona
Vancouver City Council Candidate, Member of Fresh Voices, a BC-based, youth-driven organization of immigrants and refugees
Jessica McIlroy
Jessica McIlroy
Sustainable Energy Strategist, North Vancouver Councilor
Joel Solomon
Joel Solomon
Social entrepreneur and investor
Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Richmond City Councilor
Nathan Pachal
Nathan Pachal
Langley City Councilor
Denise Taschereau
Denise Taschereau
Co-founder and CEO, Fairware
Andrea Reimer
Andrea Reimer
Former Vancouver City Councilor
Katrina Pacey
Katrina Pacey
Human Rights Lawyer
David Moscrop
David Moscrop
Political Scientist and Columnist
Charlie Demers
Charlie Demers
Comedian, Author, Actor
Kevin Huang
Kevin Huang
Executive Director, Hua Foundation
Lisa Helps
Lisa Helps
Mayor of Victoria
Nathan Cullen
Nathan Cullen
Member of Parliament for Skeena-Bulkley Valley
Bob Simpson
Bob Simpson
Mayor of Quesnel
David Suzuki
David Suzuki
Scientist, Broadcaster, Grandfather
Kennedy Stewart
Kennedy Stewart
Mayor, City of Vancouver
Mark Leiren-Young
Mark Leiren-Young
Author, writer, filmmaker
Shoni Field
Shoni Field
Member, BC Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform
Jerry Dias
Jerry Dias
National President, Unifor
Jeremy Loveday
Jeremy Loveday
Victoria City Councilor
Tzeporah Berman
Tzeporah Berman
Adjunct Professor, Environmentalist, Author
Gary Pooni
Gary Pooni
President of Brook Pooni Associates
Shauna Sylvester
Shauna Sylvester
Professor, Professional Practice, SFU
Mike Harcourt
Mike Harcourt
Former Premier of B.C.
Blaize Horner Reich
Blaize Horner Reich
Professor, Innovation and Technology
Morgane Oger
Morgane Oger
Education Advocate
Oliver Swain
Oliver Swain
Musician, Composer, Festival Organizer
Bobby Deepak
Bobby Deepak
Community Advocate, Prince George
Antony Hodgson
Antony Hodgson
Professor, Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering
Guy Dauncey
Guy Dauncey
Founder, BC Sustainable Energy Association
Charles Montgomery
Charles Montgomery
Author, Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design
Franke James
Franke James
Activist, Artist, Author
Jim Hoggan
Jim Hoggan
Author, Founder, DeSmogBlog
Dawn Black
Dawn Black
Former MP and MLA, New Westminster
Merran Smith
Merran Smith
Executive Director, Clean Energy Canada
Paul Kershaw
Paul Kershaw
Professor, UBC; Founder, Generation Squeeze
David Merner
David Merner
Former Liberal Candidate
Wayde Compton
Wayde Compton
Author, Creative Writing Instructor
Halena Seiferling
Halena Seiferling
Community Organizer, Researcher
Bill Henderson
Bill Henderson
Lead singer, songwriter for the band Chilliwack