Submission SCOTT-0089 (Online)
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Submission By | Edward Scott |
Address | Sechelt, BC, Canada |
Organization | |
Date | 20040215 |
Category | Citizens' Assembly process, Electoral system change |
Abstract
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Candidates should gain 50% plus one of the votes to be elected;
either a run-off election or the alternative vote system would
achieve this. Then the elected candidate could say that
he/she truly represents the majority in the riding. [1 page]
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Submission Content
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What a wonderful opportunity you have.
Please settle for an improvement and not be discouraged if
perfection is unattainable.
Please include confirmation of: secret ballot and one vote per
person.
My suggestion is that to win, a candidate must garner at least 50%
plus one of votes in an election. This implies a mechanism for
either a "run off" [second ballot] or a transferable ballot
mechanism [the alternative vote, AV]. The benefit would be that an
elected candidate could say that he/she truly represents the
majority in the riding. This may be good enough to avoid the
situation where, say, 40% of the popular vote has 90% of the
seats.
Inevitably you will explore "proportional representation" in its
various forms. My concern here is that "PR" seems to violate the
"one vote per person" concept. Who selects those not directly
elected by the populace?
Your mandate rightly is focused. However I see no
reason why you could not prepare "position papers" for future
consideration. For example: How are candidates selected? It seems
reasonable that a party leader should have the right to select his
"team", it also seems to me that the local association should have
a say in who it wants to represent it.
Best wishes.
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