A second chance for the single transferable vote.

On May 12th, 2009, British Columbians will have a second chance to approve the single transferable vote (STV) electoral system recommended by the British Columbia Citizens" Assembly in December 2004. The creation of a Citizens" Assembly to deliberate over such highly important matters as electoral reform was a remarkably innovative moment in western political history. The voters" decision to replace the traditional Westminster single-member plurality electoral model would be equally so. This article looks at developments since the last provincial election.

**********

In recent years, the pall of citizen disengagement in the advanced democracies has spread alarmingly, signaling again what political analysts have been wont to refer to as the "democratic deficit". This is no less apparent in Canada, particularly when it comes to the solemn duty of exercising the vote. The downward trajectory in voter turnout in federal and provincial elections has now reached the point where little more than half the eligible population goes to the polls. Paradoxically, the sense of apathy and frustration felt by so many citizens runs parallel with th...

If you are already a vLex customer, Access Here