What is BC-STV and how does it work?

BC-STV stand for a "single transferable vote". STV is a popular voting system currently used in Ireland and a number of Australian states in which voters rank candidates instead of only choosing one candidate. It provides more choice to the voter by allowing them to choose from a greater number of candidates, while achieving fair results.

The B.C. Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform recommended that British Columbia adopt a single transferable vote after looking at how people in a number of other countries votes and listening to concerns from people across B.C. who wanted fairer result, more accountable MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly), and a better way to choose between candidates on election day.

BC-STV has three major differences:

Multi-member districts

Giving voters more than one MLA to turn to.

BC-STV is similar to a city council in that voters will have a number of elected officials representing one district. Unlike city council, each voter still only has one vote.

Since two neighbours do not necessarily support the same candidate or party, there has to be more than one MLA representing the same geographical area if most voters are to have an MLA they support - that's why STV uses multi-member districts of between 2 and 7 members (more in more densely populated areas). Under BC-STV, you could end up electing a lawyer, a business owner, an environmentalist and a union organizer in one district. Almost every voter would have a candidate who matched their values and would be willing to champion their concerns.

Preferential Ballot

Counting your next favourite candidate.

The current first past the post system often makes voters choose between the candidate they want to win and a candidate who has a better chance of winning. Instead BC-STV gives voters the ability to list who is their first choice, second choice and so forth.

Counting is done in rounds and the candidate with the least voters after each round is removed. If a voter selects an independent candidate or a less popular candidate who is eliminated, their vote will count towards their second choice. Generally, voters will be able to rank two or more candidates from the same party, though they are also free to rank candidates from more than one party if they wish.

Partial Transfers

Treating all voters equally.

This is the least familiar element of STV, but it's there to ensure that all voters are treated equally and fairly by having the same influence over the outcome of an election. If a candidate is very popular and wins twice as many votes as they need to be elected, each vote is only half used on your first choice and voter ballot's 'balance' goes to your second choice. If you think of a ballot as being worth one dollar, you would have received change by voting for a popular candidate which you can use to help your second choice get elected. Every voter has one 'dollar's' worth of voting power, even if it's distributed across more than one candidate.

Fair and Proportional.

The Single Transferable Vote holds politicians accountable while delivering fair results.

Compare with BC's results.