Transcript Slide 1
Voting Process Canadian & World Politics www.CraigMarlatt.com/school Voting Process 1. Electoral Systems 2. Electoral Reform Electoral Systems • While numerous variations exist, including complex combinations of multiple systems, there are five main electoral systems: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. First Past the Post (FPTP) Runoff Proportional Representation (PR) Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) Electoral College (only in the US, only for Pres.) Electoral Systems 1. First Past the Post (FPTP) • In FPTP systems, the winning candidate is simply the person who wins most votes. • In theory, a candidate could be elected with two votes, if every other candidate only secured a single vote. • FPTP systems are mainly used in former British Empire countries. Electoral Systems Electoral Systems 2. Runoff • Runoff voting is where successive rounds of voting are held until a candidate wins a majority of the positive votes. • After each inconclusive round, those candidates at the bottom whose votes together do not add up to the votes of the next candidate are eliminated. • Presidential elections in France and Finland as well as selecting Olympic host cities use this process of voting Electoral Systems 3. Proportional Representation (PR) • PR systems give political parties in parliament or legislative assemblies a number of seats approximately proportional to the percentage of vote they received. • PR systems are used in Israel, The Netherlands, and Cambridge MA (most jurisdictions do not appear to use the “pure” PR method) Electoral Systems 4. Mixed Member Proportionality (MMP) • A hybrid system of both FPTP and PR • Each voter casts a vote for a local candidate (who wins by obtaining the most votes) AND a vote for the political party of their choosing (which wins seats based on the total popular vote) • MMP is used in Germany, Mexico, Italy, New Zealand, and other parts of the world Electoral Systems Vote for a local candidate …AND vote for a party Electoral Systems 5. Electoral College • How to elect the President of the United States? • Each state is represented by a number of individuals proportionate to its seats in Congress, that is, two Senators and a number of Representatives based on the state's population. • There are 538 electors, so 270 votes are required to win the presidency. • The process for selecting electors varies throughout the United States (each state decides the process for choosing its “electors”) Electoral Systems • 48 out of the 50 states award electoral votes on a winner-takes-all basis (exceptions: Maine and Nebraska). • For example, all 55 of California's electoral votes go to the winner of that state election, even if the margin of victory is only 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent. • It is therefore quite possible that a presidential candidate can win the majority of the popular vote nationally, but not become president. Electoral Systems Electoral Systems • Given the previous slide’s distribution of numbers, it is possible to win the presidential election by winning in just 12 states! – The big 5: NY, PA, FL, TX, CA = 167 PLUS IL, NJ, NC, GA, MI, IN, MA = 273 – Other interesting divisions: There are only 219 electoral votes available west of the Mississippi River Electoral Reform • Voter Apathy – – – – Why Don’t People Vote? (Maclean’s) Why Are People Not Voting? (Maple Leaf Web) Explaining the Turnout Decline… (StatsCan Study) The Importance of One Vote • Solutions? – Education – Compulsory Voting – Others? Electoral Reform • Voting System Reform in Canada www.fairvote.ca Electoral Reform • Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform (Ontario) www.citizensassembly.gov.on.ca Electoral Reform • Students' Assembly on Electoral Reform (Ontario) Electoral Reform • I am a grade 12 student at Anderson CVI. I am planning on majoring in Political Science at the University of Toronto. I love politics, one day I would like to work for the Canadian Government or the United Nations. I am an active participant in my community; I volunteer at many places including the YMCA. I am also part of the Culture of Peace Committee at my school and am part of many groups including the HIV/AIDS campaign, and plan on starting my own committee on stopping the use of child soldiers in Sudan. Electoral Reform • Minister for Democratic Reform (Canada) – First, we've introduced legislation to modernize the Senate to make it more democratic, more accountable, and more representative of Canadians. – Second, we are enhancing our electoral system to make it more responsive, fair and effective. – Third, we are eliminating the pervote subsidy for political parties.