Submission LAKE-0082 (Online)

BC should adopt optional preferential balloting [the alternative vote, AV] in single member ridings as is used for the lower houses of two Australian parliaments.  This system would be fairer than the present one and easy to institute. [1 page]

PREFERENTIAL BALLOTING

This is something close to Proportional Representation while maintaining the parliamentary representation by riding/region can be achieved, and HAS been achieved in Australia and, I'm told, recently in Scotland.

In Preferential Ballotting, electoral boundaries can remain the same if desired.

Voters chose their first, second, and possibly third or more choices of candidate.

After votes are counted, IF there is not an absolute majority for one candidate, the bottom candidate is dropped and his/her voters' second choices are added in to the vote. This continues until one candidate HAS a majority and that candidate is declared the winner.

This would allow, say, a Green Party supporter to chose, say, an NDP candidate as second choice, or a Conservative supporter to chose, say, a Liberal.

This would achieve a much fairer balance of seats by party without the fragmentation/paralysis of dozens of parties that one sees in some European governments.

It would also be VERY simple and inexpensive to institute as the computer technology already exists. People would simply have the opportunity (not mandatory) to place numbers next to candidates in order of preference.

It works WELL in Australia where I have worked many times.