I am writing to share my strongly-held belief that our electoral
system must be reformed to proportionally represent the wishes of
BC's voters in the distribution of seats in the Legislature [PR].
Our current system ignores the wishes of many citizens, whose votes
are wasted if their candidate does not win a plurality in their
particular riding. This leads to governments that are not
representative of voters' desires, leading to voter apathy and
reduced interest in government, as many voters feel no connection
with the government that has been elected.
A system is urgently needed that counts the vote of every citizen.
Every voter should see their vote reflected in the make-up of the
government. This will lead to governments that enjoy broader public
support, an increase in voter interest and turnout, and a truer
form of democracy in British Columbia.
There are many alternative forms of proportional representation,
and the Citizens' Assembly will have an opportunity to review the
strengths and weaknesses of each one. As long as the system
selected is representative of voters' preferences (e.g. a party
that receives 20% of the vote will receive 20% of the seats in
government), so that every vote truly counts, I have faith in the
Citizens' Assembly to recommend a suitable system for British
Columbia.
Good luck in your task and thank you for addressing such a critical
issue. I look forward to the implementation of a fair,
representative and democratic voting system in British
Columbia.
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