How BC-STV Works
Quick Links
- The "Big Idea" Behind BC-STV: a Legislature that Accurately Reflects How We Vote
- New Map
- New Ballot
- Animation Showing Vote Counting With BC-STV
- 4 Easy Analogies For How Votes Are Counted
- Try Voting Using BC-STV in a Virtual 'Mock' Election
- FAQs
One "Big Idea", Two Key Features (New Map, New Ballot)
The Big Idea: All voters are entitled to representation - not just the half of us who get representation under our current First Past the Post voting system.
The goal of BC-STV is to let as many voters as possible elect an MLA they support and to give voters as much choice as possible, both between parties and between candidates of the same party. This means that, as much as possible, our legislature will accurately reflect what we as voters say we want with our ballots.
A New Map
Since two neighbours may well have different political views, the only way both of them can elect a candidate of their own choosing is to have more than one MLA represent each geographic region.
BC-STV does this by merging adjacent ridings together - as few as 2 ridings in the northeast of the province and 5 to 7 in the more urban areas. This way, the number of MLAs in each region of the province will be the same under BC-STV as it is now with our first past the post system.
BC-STV districts shown in red, current First Past the Post ridings in blue. Click map to visit the Referendum Information Office for more detailed maps.
By electing several MLAs in an area (for example, there will be six seats on the west side of Vancouver), almost every voter will be able to elect an MLA they support - upwards of 90% of voters under BC-STV vs only 50% with our current unrepresentative first past the post voting system.
Every region will have multiple views represented in legislature, including both government and opposition voices. As a voter, you will be able to choose which MLA to approach with your concerns, so you're virtually certain to find a sympathetic ear.
A New Ballot
On the STV ballot, voters can rank as many candidates as they like - as easy as 1,2,3. Voters decide which candidate best represents their chosen party. They can even vote for candidates from several different parties, or for an independent.
Political parties hoping to win more than one seat will have put forward a diverse slate of candidates to maximize their appeal with voters.
STV allows voters to ‘spend’ their vote efficiently. If our first choice is least popular and is eliminated, our vote goes to our next choice. If less than our whole vote is needed, then we get “change” to spend on our next choice.
A new map and a new way to vote. Two changes that will give the people of BC the type of politics that they asked for.
Animation Showing BC-STV Vote Counting Process (90 seconds)
This is an excerpt from the official video report of the BC Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. The full video describing the Assembly process is available at the Citizens' Assembly website. Spend 90 seconds with this video and understand how BC-STV works.
4 Easy Analogies
Click here for four easy analogies explaining how the vote count in BC-STV works. Choose from picking captains for sports teams, choosing pies, eating Chinese food, or buying ice cream.
Try Voting Using BC-STV in a Virtual 'Mock' Election
If you'd like to give BC-STV a try in advance, visit TrySTV.ca to get some idea of what BC-STV would look like in real life and how your own vote might be counted. We caution you that the purpose of this mock election is primarily to learn about how BC-STV works and how the votes are counted. Since the site is open to everyone, there's no way to ensure that the people voting on the site represent a random sample of the real voters, so the outcome should not be considered a prediction of a real election outcome. However, it should demonstrate quite clearly how BC-STV will produce a legislature which accurately reflects how voters vote; in particular, it shows how both major parties will likely win representation in every region around BC.
Frequently-Asked Questions
- What is the quota?
- Why is there a range in the number of MLAs per district?
- Whose votes get transferred?
- Why does only a portion of my vote get transferred sometimes?
- Can my vote be transferred to a candidate I didn’t choose?
- How many candidates will be on the ballot?
- How many candidates do I have to vote for?
- Can I vote for candidates from different parties?
- Does counting require a computer?
What is the quota?
The quota determines how many votes an MLA needs to get elected. Regardless of size of district, or number of voters, each MLA is elected with a relatively similar level of support, around 20,000 votes.
Why is there a range in the number of MLAs per district?
STV can accommodate BCs huge size and unevenly distributed population by allowing a range from 2-7 in the number of MLAs in a district. The Peace River can retain a district similar to their federal riding and elect two members, while denser Vancouver would be split into two districts of 5 and 6 seats respectively. Although the numbers of voters vary from district to district, as do the number of MLAs to be elected, the ratio of voters to MLA stays the same.
Whose votes get transferred?
STV works to ensure that as much as your vote as possible gets used. If your chosen candidate has more than enough votes to get elected then everybody who voted for them gets the left over portion of their vote to transfer. Think of it like buying something with a loonie and getting change back. Your “change” is then transferred to your next choice. Of course, if your first choice is least popular and is eliminated then none of your vote has been used up and one whole vote is transferred to your next choice.
Why does only a portion of my vote get transferred sometimes?
“Single” in STV means that every voter has only one single vote. If a portion of your vote has already been used on one of your top choices you don’t have a full vote left to transfer. However, the remainder is transferred to your next choice. Of course, if your first choice is least popular and is eliminated then none of your vote has been used up and one whole vote is transferred to your next choice.
Can my vote be transferred to a candidate I didn’t choose?
No. Your vote can only be transferred to the candidates you voted for.
How many candidates will be on the ballot?
Political parties will generally run one more candidate than they think they can get elected as insurance. In a four-member district this could result in 11-14 candidates, in a five-member district it would range from 13-18. Candidates will be grouped by political party on the ballot.
How many candidates do I have to vote for?
You can vote for as few as one, or as many as there are candidates. It is your choice.
Can I vote for candidates from different parties?
Yes. You can vote for candidates from the same party, or for several parties and independent candidates. It is your choice.
Does counting require a computer?
No -- STV is much older than computers, and hand-counts were still done until recently. Today, computers can help us tally paper ballots quickly and are used for all sorts of voting systems. They are used today in municipal elections in many parts of the province. Manual recounts ensure the count is accurate.