The provincial referendum on electoral reform is in full swing.
Most registered voters will have received a large yellow envelope in the mail – that’s your referendum vote package. You have until the end of November to send it in.
Many people have said that they’re not sure what the different proportional voting systems are like, and what would work best for them – whether they voted for the status quo, or opted for change.
Now there’s an easy, non-partisan way to figure that out.
A systems engineer named Jamie Deith has designed a questionnaire, found online at “referendumguide.ca.” It’s been approved by Elections BC as acceptable under their rules.
Related: Weighing in on B.C. debate on proportional representation
All you have to do is type in the name and go to the website, then answer the 20 or so questions (once you’ve proved you’re not a robot) and then click a button, and your answers will determine which system fits best with your values, expectations and priorities.
That means you could be best served either by the current first-past-the-post system or any one of the three proportional systems: MMP (Mixed Member Proportional), DMP (Dual Member Proportional), or RUP (Rural-Urban Proportional).
The two best things about this questionnaire are that a: it uses your opinions as a starting point, and b: you don’t have to be a professor of political science with a research interest in voting systems to figure out what is your own personal preference.
So take the plunge, take the questionnaire – and then don’t forget to vote and mail off your package.
Warren Bell
@SalmonArm
newsroom@saobserver.net
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