Action in Time

Fairer for Everyone – Improved Democracy, Election Results that Reflect Voters’ Real Intentions

This is an updated proposal for a Mixed Member Proportional voting system for BC based on one originally developed by “Free Your Vote” participants Paul George OBC, Director of ActionInTime, and Adriane Carr, who was the proponent of the 2002 Citizen’s Initiative to Establish a Proportional Representation Electoral System in BC. It reflects updated best practices that are in place and functioning in other democracies, while respecting the political culture, population distribution and voter expectations in BC. Note: some of the information on these systems has been sourced through ChatGPT AI.

Overview

Our democracy is threatened by voter dissatisfaction and apathy: low voter turnout; increased frustration with feeling you have to vote for the lesser of evils instead of your real preference.

British Columbians deserve a voting system where they can vote for what they actually want, not “strategically” for the “lesser of evils” for fear of their vote being “wasted”.

• Every vote counts
• Every region has strong local MLAs
• Political parties earn seats in proportion to their support
• No more false majorities or wasted votes

This proposed 2025 BC Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system delivers all of this. It balances local accountability with more fair proportional representation-and it’s already used successfully in New Zealand, Germany, Scotland, and Wales.

Key Features of the 2025 BC MMP Model

1. Two Votes Per Voter

• Vote 1: For your local MLA (just like today).
• Vote 2: For a party, which contributes to that party achieving its fair share of seats.

This gives voters more power by adding to their current election of a local MLA with an additional vote for the party they feel represents their values and interests the best.

2. Voters Choose From Open, Transparent Party Lists

• Parties must publish clear, democratic rules for how candidates are ranked on their list.
• Voters see the party list before election day, posted online and at polling places.
• Allows voters to re-rank or express preferences on their ballot in the voting booth if they don’t agree with the party’s ranking of candidates (like New Zealand now has).

3. Threshold for Party Representation

• A party must win at least 3% of the vote or at least 1 local seat to qualify for proportional representation.
• This keeps out tiny fringe or single-issue parties and keeps the number of parties in the Legislature to a reasonable number.

4. No More False Majorities

• No party can win 100% of the power (a “majority” government) with only 40% of the vote, which happened in 1996 in BC with the NDP forming a majority government with 39.5% of the vote, or a party receiving 97.5% of the seats (77 of 79) with 57.6% of the vote which happened when the Liberals were elected in BC in 2001 (which triggered the BC Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform).
• Coalitions and cooperation become the norm, not the exception.
• Governments must earn a real majority of support.

5. No Increase in Total Seats

• BC can keep the same number of MLAs (e.g., 93) by redrawing slightly larger local ridings and creating proportional regional zones (just like in Scotland).

Summary of Advantages of this 2025 MMP Model

Key Messages

MMP goes a long way to fixing our democracy.

With MMP, your vote for a local MLA may not result in electing your preferred local representative. But parties that receive at least 3% of the vote, are allocated a share of seats equal to their share of the popular vote. So your second vote, for your preferred political party, almost always ensures that you are represented.

MMP is the fairest and most accurate way to elect a legislature that ensures the greatest number of people receive representation that they voted for. Of all voting systems, it delivers the most voter satisfaction.

Next Steps

• A year-long multi-lingual public information campaign, distributing materials that accurately evaluate our current First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system including its shortcomings and negative effects, as well as how the proposed MMP system will work in BC and accurate information about how MMP works in other countries.
• Put MMP to a clear, binding vote in a two-choice referendum:
  Do you want:
  • (a) the proposed MMP system or
  • (b) the “winner take all” system we have today?
• Final step: after two elections under MMP, hold another vote giving voters the chance to return to the FPTP system or continue with the new MMP system.