7 Ways to Make BC’s Electoral Reform Referendum Fair
We're starting to work with the Leadnow community in BC to make plans to campaign in support of proportional representation in the upcoming referendum to be held in November 2018.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the recent federal electoral reform situation, it’s that having a good process leading up to a decision on electoral reform is really important.
One easy way to make sure electoral reform doesn’t come to fruition? Design a process that is opaque, difficult to engage in, and controlled by party interests.
That's why we’ve developed some recommendations (in collaboration with our community and allies) for the new government in BC to help ensure the referendum process is fair, accessible, and effective.
The main benefit to this approach? It builds consensus around the idea of change. It could also help to engage people who want PR in general but don't care about the type of PR.
We could then ‘try out’ the system over a few elections before locking it in by holding another referendum to confirm the new system. This enables people to say yes to change with less risk, and then test the new system out in real life. It will be much easier for people to imagine how a new system would work if they get the opportunity to actually see it in action.
One option instead of a Citizens Assembly would be a ‘citizens jury’ model, as pioneered in the United States. This process would have a randomly selected group of citizens study and consult on the issue and make recommendations to government within a few short weeks or months.
Any consultation process the government does should have clear goals and parameters and set realistic expectations. The ways in which people’s input will be used should also be transparent, and reporting back should happen soon after the consultations are held.
We do not recommend funding proponent and opponent campaigns, as was the case in 2009. Government can't download the work of educating and engaging voters to civil society groups. They should instead empower Elections BC to lead the charge on citzen education, and make sure there's a neutral source of information about the vote.
The bottom line? We need to ensure BC’s referendum is a fair one, with a transparent and accountable process that sets British Columbia up for a real shot at improving our democracy. We’re looking forward to learning more about the format of the referendum in the weeks to come, and then getting down to work with the Leadnow community.
Last updated: Nov 1, 2017
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the recent federal electoral reform situation, it’s that having a good process leading up to a decision on electoral reform is really important.
One easy way to make sure electoral reform doesn’t come to fruition? Design a process that is opaque, difficult to engage in, and controlled by party interests.
That's why we’ve developed some recommendations (in collaboration with our community and allies) for the new government in BC to help ensure the referendum process is fair, accessible, and effective.
Recommendation 1: Hold a two-question referendum.
To help build consensus around a new system, use a two-question ballot in the referendum that asks first whether voters want a change to a new system, and then uses a ranked ballot to ask voters to rank their favourite new options for systems, which would not include FPTP. This is similar to the model used by New Zealand in their referendum in the 1990s.The main benefit to this approach? It builds consensus around the idea of change. It could also help to engage people who want PR in general but don't care about the type of PR.
We could then ‘try out’ the system over a few elections before locking it in by holding another referendum to confirm the new system. This enables people to say yes to change with less risk, and then test the new system out in real life. It will be much easier for people to imagine how a new system would work if they get the opportunity to actually see it in action.
Recommendation 2: Run a consultation process leading up to the referendum to identify the types of systems that voters will choose between.
Unfortunately, the timelines won’t allow for another Citizens Assembly process before the referendum. However, citizen engagement is key to building legitimacy and trust in the process of changing our voting system. The process should engage both experts and the general public to identify what systems the public will vote on.One option instead of a Citizens Assembly would be a ‘citizens jury’ model, as pioneered in the United States. This process would have a randomly selected group of citizens study and consult on the issue and make recommendations to government within a few short weeks or months.
Any consultation process the government does should have clear goals and parameters and set realistic expectations. The ways in which people’s input will be used should also be transparent, and reporting back should happen soon after the consultations are held.
Recommendation 3: Provide adequate funding for robust and inclusive citizen education.
There is still a big education gap on electoral reform in BC that needs to be addressed before a referendum to ensure good engagement. Elections BC should be engaged to deliver information in a creative and accessible way, with a combination of online and offline events that are well publicized and available in different languages.We do not recommend funding proponent and opponent campaigns, as was the case in 2009. Government can't download the work of educating and engaging voters to civil society groups. They should instead empower Elections BC to lead the charge on citzen education, and make sure there's a neutral source of information about the vote.
Recommendation 4: Start the education process no later than January 2018.
In previous referendums, knowledge of the referendum was very low, which hurt participation. That means it is vital that we start talking about it as soon as possible.Recommendation 5: Set the threshold for the referendum to pass at 50% +1.
A higher threshold is unreasonable and unnecessary and stacks the deck in favour of the status quo.Recommendation 6: Include both mail-in and in-person voting options.
Mail-in ballots can help with turnout, but also privileges people with stable housing and may lower the voting rate among young people. If we want this referendum to be accessible to everyone, we need to ensure that there is more than one way people can participate.Recommendation 7: Ban big money from the campaign.
This is in line with where BC is going in terms of overall election financing reforms, and will help to ensure that big business cannot play a disproportionate role in the public debate on this very important issue.The bottom line? We need to ensure BC’s referendum is a fair one, with a transparent and accountable process that sets British Columbia up for a real shot at improving our democracy. We’re looking forward to learning more about the format of the referendum in the weeks to come, and then getting down to work with the Leadnow community.
Last updated: Nov 1, 2017