canadian election procedures - mrdemerse.com - counting the votes thursday, 15 january, 15. ......

Canadian Election Procedures

Thursday, 15 January, 15

How do the MP’s win their seats in Parliament?


• General election = a nation-wide or province wide election in all ridings/constituencies.

• By-elections - fill vacancies between regularly scheduled elections.


Our elections are now scheduled every 4 years


Procedures• 1. Gov General (Lieutenant-Gov / provincial)

dissolves parliament

• 2. Candidates are nominated in ridings (Nomination by acclamation means no one contested).

• 3. Enumeration - preparation of voter’s list

• 4. Campaigning (person previously holding seat & re-campaigning is called the incumbent)

• 5. Polling stations

• 6. Tabulation - counting the votes


Then What?• The party who won the most seats forms the

government

• That party has the mandate to govern the country / province for 4 years.

• the leader of that party is the prime minister

• He / she forms the cabinet (ministers) by appointing cabinet positions.

• The cabinet members each get a portfolio (department or area of responsibility)

• The Governor-General (Lieut-Gov) reads the Speech from the Throne outlining the governments plans.


Canada’s Federal House of CommonsCanada’s Federal House of Commons

Canada’s Federal House of Commons after May 2, 2012 General Election

Party ElectedCONSERVATIVE 167NDP 102LIBERAL 34BQ 4

GREEN 1Total 308

The conservatives have a majority government because the other parties cannot outnumber them in a vote.

IE 102 + 34 + 4 + 1 = 141


First past the post system vs.

Proportional Representation

• First past the post system = the person with the most individual votes represents the riding in Parliament.


Elizabeth May, our single Green Party MP, won her “seat” in the Saanich-Gulf Islands at the last general election.

Candidate Party Votes

Green Elizabeth May 31890

Conservative Gary Lunn 25544

NDP Edith Loring-Kuhanga 8185

Liberal Renée Hetherington 4208

Total turn-out from eligible voters 68 987 / 91 673 (75%)

How many voters are not represented in Ottawa?(Round to nearest 1000).

Answer = almost 39 000

6346morevotes

than Lunn


1996 Provincial Election

Party

NDP

Liberal

Seats won VotesPopular vote

(share of individual votes %)

39 624,395 39%

33 661,929 42%


Proportional Representation • Whatever % of the population

votes for a party across the country = the same % of seats that

party gets in Parliament.

• Eg: House of Commons = 100 seats

• 50% of voters vote NDP50 seats go to NDP

• 25% of voters vote Liberal 25 of seats go to Liberals

• 25% of voters vote Green25 seats to Green

... a proposed solution


Parliamentary debate can be lively


canadian election procedures - mrdemerse.com - counting the votes thursday, 15 january, 15. ......

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