We asked Canadians to share their voting story – and hundreds of people across the country told us just how broken our current winner-take-all electoral system is.
Canadians told us they sometimes don’t bother to vote because they don’t think their vote would make a difference in their riding. No wonder voter turnout in Canada has been declining since the 1980s. In 2008, only 58.5 per cent of eligible voters voted – the lowest in our history. Last year, turnout was only 68.5 per cent. Which we celebrated. That’s how bad things are.
Canadians told us they often vote for a party that’s not their first choice to prevent another party from winning.
Canadians told us proportional representation would fix this. Because under PR, people can vote according to their values and beliefs -- and know their vote will count.
Debates about electoral system can sometimes seem theoretical and disconnected from people’s lives. The opposite is the case. Canadians recognize the flaws in our current system. They live them each election. In order to re-engage Canadians in our democracy, we need a new voting system that’s fair, equal and engaging. That’s why we need PR.
