News release

Selection Process Begins To Create Citizens’ Assembly

VANCOUVER  – The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform has begun the precedent-setting process of selecting members from the general public, to examine, and possibly propose changes to how BC voters elect their government members.

Citizens’ Assembly Chair Jack Blaney today received the names of 200 first-round candidates from each of the 79 electoral districts in BC. Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld provided the Citizens' Assembly with a database containing the names and contact information for the 15,800 voters selected at random from the BC Voters List. The individuals reflect a cross-section of voters from each riding, separated into groups by age and gender.

All will be contacted and asked if they wish to participate in the selection process. From those agreeing to participate, a final selection of Assembly members will take place during October and November 2003.  From the initial 15,800 names, two voters from each electoral district in the province will ultimately become Assembly members.

Beginning January 2004, members of the Citizens' Assembly will learn about different voting systems, followed by public consultations. By December of 2004, the members will decide whether to recommend a new electoral system for British Columbia, or keep our current system.  If they recommend a new system, the recommendation will be put to all voters in British Columbia in a referendum in the next provincial election in May 2005.  If voters endorse the recommendation, the new electoral system will be in place for the following provincial election in 2009.

"What’s remarkable about this is that we’re turning this over to the people," Blaney said. "Nobody’s done this before. The Assembly members will listen to their fellow citizens, and hopefully engage thousands of people."

An information leaflet on the Citizens’ Assembly mandate has been delivered to every household in British Columbia, as part of a recent campaign to have British Columbians update their voters list information by August 22nd, in order to be eligible for selection.