A better alternative to MMP: Cross-Proportional
Representation (CPR)
British Columbia's electoral system is in all likelihood going to
change, most likely to the New Zealand method of Mixed-Member
Proportional elections (MMP). I deem to be the best electoral
system (so far) that meets BC's needs.
Nevertheless it is not perfect (half of the seats come from party
lists, electorates are twice as large etc.) CPR has all the
advantages of MMP while avoiding these defects. This is how it
works:
The candidates for election to the Legislature are arranged on a
spreadsheet, sorted by electorate (riding) and by party. The votes
for each party are totalled and seats allocated in proportion to
the party's vote. The votes within each riding are totalled and
seats allocated proportionally, in the same way as parties.
Multiple-member electorates are possible, but rare unless by
design, and some ridings may get no seats; these orphan ridings
could be merged with a neighbor.
CPR works by requiring candidates to win in both
riding and party, as far as it is possible. These "double winners"
are elected immediately. Once either a party or riding has filled
its allocation of seats, it is closed and all remaining candidates
in it lose and are crossed
out. Next, the remaining seats are doled out
one-by-one to the candidate who has more votes than any other
candidate overall, subject to the above
constraints of both riding and party. This continues until all
seats have been allocated.
Past elections done using CPR rules show an astonishing 80% to 90%
agreement with traditional first-past-the-post! In this regard it
is far superior to MMP.
Another advantage of CPR over MMP is that party lists are not
needed; political machines cannot game the system to put party
leaders in a safe position on top of the list.
Still another advantage of CPR over MMP is that there are no "mixed
members;" all members come from ridings and are
thus equally legitimate.
No one else to my knowledge has invented the method of CPR
elections, and thus CPR has never been used, but the principles
behind it are sound.
I hope that British Columbia puts it to use; should it work there
it will be a shining example to the rest of North America and the
world.
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