Election language can be confusing, so here’s a quick breakdown
Voters seem confused by election language. It’s time to make the elections a bit more accessible by breaking down some of the lingo.
First Past the Post
Toronto part of National Day of Action
Protesters gathered at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday to protest the Liberal government’s recent electoral reform decision.
Politicians, constituents still waiting for electoral reform
The MP for Beaches-East York believes that electoral reform will not happen by the next federal election in 2019.
In 2015, following the election of Justin Trudeau as prime minister, the Liberal administration recommended a number of initiatives and ultimately legislation that would replace the “first-past-the-post” voting system in Canada. In the wake of months of consultation with the public, some believe such alternatives as proportional representation, a ranked balloting system and online voting will not be ready for the next federal election. East York’s Nathaniel Erskine-Smith says it may take longer.
“The promise was to make 2015 the last election under first-past-the-post,” he said, “and if it’s hard to make the promise happen before 2019, we should still be committed to the promise in the long-term.”
Toronto-Danforth candidates differ on alternative election formula
How Canadians actually choose their federal government got a full airing at Tuesday night’s all-candidates meeting in the Toronto-Danforth riding. Candidates contesting the riding offered their views about replacing the traditional “first-past-the-post” election with proportional representation. The latter would see percentage divisions in the electorate represented in the House of Commons.