54'40

[Gabu]

I'm not sure what it'd be like if it was there from the get-go, but today it would be solid Democrat.  The only reason it seems so conservative is because of massive vote-splitting.  My Conservative MP won re-election with only 34% (!) of the vote.

[Gabu]

I'm not sure what it'd be like if it was there from the get-go, but today it would be solid Democrat.  The only reason it seems so conservative is because of massive vote-splitting.  My Conservative MP won re-election with only 34% (!) of the vote.

Did two liberals split the vote badly or what?

Three, actually.  There was David Mulroney, the Liberal Party candidate, Jennifer Burgis, the NDP candidate, and Andrew Lewis, the Green Party Candidate.  All together, the three of them amassed 65% of the vote, but among them the vote was split 27% - 21% - 17%, respectively, which resulted in Gary Lunn being re-elected even though nearly 2/3 of the population voted for someone else.

Looking through the election results in BC, there are actually only 4 candidates out of 36 who were elected with a majority of the vote.

[Gabu]

I'm not sure what it'd be like if it was there from the get-go, but today it would be solid Democrat.  The only reason it seems so conservative is because of massive vote-splitting.  My Conservative MP won re-election with only 34% (!) of the vote.

Did two liberals split the vote badly or what?

Three, actually.  There was David Mulroney, the Liberal Party candidate, Jennifer Burgis, the NDP candidate, and Andrew Lewis, the Green Party Candidate.  All together, the three of them amassed 65% of the vote, but among them the vote was split 27% - 21% - 17%, respectively, which resulted in Gary Lunn being re-elected even though nearly 2/3 of the population voted for someone else.

Looking through the election results in BC, there are actually only 4 candidates out of 36 who were elected with a majority of the vote.

That's why countries like yours need a run-off to decide elections, or going even further, Instant Run-off Voting.

There actually is a proposition on the ballot in the upcoming provincial election to establish a form of instant run-off voting as the election method for BC.  I plan to vote yes on it, for the above reason.

[Gabu]

But if you don't participate in the voting process, your point of view is considered moot.

It seems to me that the fact that nearly 50% of the electorate doesn't vote is the fault of that 50%, not of the politicians.  It doesn't do the politicians any good to care about someone who isn't going to vote one way or another.

[Gabu]

There actually is a proposition on the ballot in the upcoming provincial election to establish a form of instant run-off voting as the election method for BC.  I plan to vote yes on it, for the above reason.

So, what happened, Gabu?

Mostly that I found out that it only applied to provincial elections.  That and I read other articles that highlighted negatives that I hadn't thought of.

[Gabu]

Not as much fun as expected, eh? Perhaps they couldn't, legally, apply it to Canadian federal elections?

I would imagine that it probably wouldn't be fair and certainly wouldn't be legal to allow each province to decide how to elect its representatives, after thinking about it.