Civic Elections Prove First-Past-the-Post Works!

An impressive province-wide result of BC’s civic elections was the degree of change we all witnessed: new mayors, new councillors, new parties with new ideas winning new popular support, new school board and new park board commissioners, and many new political results, rankings, rises … and falls.

Think about it: isn’t that PROOF POSITIVE that first-past-the-post voting works???

Even small, previously unheard of party organizations … and individuals … found themselves winning seats and a say in their communities’ future.

Living in Vancouver, I could not help but notice the MAJOR changes the voters opted for … substantially changing the political face of city governance for the next four years.

Amazingly,  in Vancouver,  an INDEPENDENT was elected as Mayor! The party that controlled/dominated the Mayoralty,  Council, the city’s various boards and for 10 years the city’s direction/ideology/policies … Vision … was almost obliterated; the NPA winning 5 seats on Council, the Greens capturing 3; COPE 1 and a new party, One City 1 seat. The park and school boards also saw similar CHANGES.

In other municipalities as well, other incumbent politicians were toppled; new leaders and representatives were given chances to govern and set policies, agendas, directions.

ALL under the first-past-the-post  electoral system: those who received THE MOST VOTES for the number of positions available WON!!!

Simple … and clearly effective!

No convoluted handing out of legislative seats via party lists; no complicated mathematical vote weighting system that few understand; no fears that people allocated seats through votes in other parts of the province can have powers/impact the balance of power, affecting you; and, no unbalances, where some ridings will have one MLA and others two (never tried before in any democracy anywhere in the world).

First-past-the-post … contrary to the propaganda put forward by those pushing the complicated, potentially blackmail-encouraging balance of power proportional systems … does give smaller parties and even independents a better chance of achieving victories and even power.

Just look at the BC civic election results only a week ago!

Harv Oberfeld

(This vote is important. I hope readers will pass this blog on …  https://harveyoberfeld.ca/civic-elections-prove-first-past-the-post-works/ ….  for others to read before they cast their ballots. h.o)

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