The “democratic deficit” is back on the public agenda. On Oct. 20, the B.C. government will hold a referendum asking voters whether they favour the current “first past the post” voting system or believe a proportional representation system (there is more than one!) would be more democratic.
Having good sources of information allows citizens to feel confident in their views. A frequently overlooked point is that it also helps them encourage acquaintances to get informed themselves.
A handy jumping-off point is the How We Vote website at https://engage.gov.bc.ca/howwevote/. The site gives a rundown of the features and tendencies of prominent electoral systems like Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP) and Single Transferable Vote (STV). A solid, one-stop book going into further detail is David M. Farrell’s Electoral Systems.
Those wanting to delve deeper into the case for proportional representation may be interested in Citizenship and Democracy by Nick Loenen. On the other side, polemics like Dale Smith’s The Unbroken Machine and John Pepall’s Against Reform make the case that first past the post works best alongside the other features of our political system, all things considered. With some exceptions, the 2017 book Should We Change How We Vote? largely makes the same point. This collection assembles short pieces on various facets of reform, including whether a referendum is necessary to change the voting system.
The referendum also presents an opportunity to learn more about our overall political system. Elections by John Courtney, part of The Canadian Democratic Audit series, discusses reform in the context of voting rights, gerrymandering, and partisanship. And The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Politics offers short articles on frequently debated issues like the performance of large “brokerage parties.”
For reading suggestions try the Topic Guide “Should We Change How We Vote?” online at ow.ly/SfHg30kg2ol. This list can also be found at nwpl.ca; to find it select “List” from the drop-down menu at the search box, enter “Should We Change How We Vote?” and click on the guide.
