Liberals did it again

Liberal leader Gordon Campbell became the first B.C. premier in 26 years to win three consecutive elections with a majority government.

As the economy weighed heavy on the minds of B. C. residents, Mr. Campbell campaigned as the safe bet to steer the province through tough times, arguing NDP Leader Carole James was not up to the job.

The tactic paid off.

The Liberals were projected late last night to take 50 of 85 seats in the B. C. legislature. The NDP will form the Opposition with 35 seats.

There were no Green party candidates elected.

BC-STV was ruled out by a wide margin  as it failed to win 50-per-cent approval, that likely would end the debate in B.C. about changing our voting system. This is the second time STV has been voted down.

STV or not?

Single Transferable Vote ( STV) has been a part of the provincial election debate in BC.

As polls open for BC’s 39th election today STV still is a contentious issue. It has been ridiculed, criticized and even disregarded but history demonstrates it has worked successfully for some governments.

In order to encourage voters and to minimize loss of votes the voters have to list the order of preference for their favoured candidates.

” I am not sure if I want anyone else to take the place of my candidate just because enough people did not vote for him.” says Robin Macahalar of Vancouver.

Machalar admits she does not understand the STV system and admits her boyfriend made jokes about the acronym when she tried to talk to him about it.

British Columbia voters could make Canadian history according to their referendum decision they make on their ballot today.

Voters’ ballots for the provincial election will contain not only the names of the candidates in their riding, but also a crucial referendum question.

Electors will choose 85 MLAs and a new government – but they also will see a question similar to one on their ballots in the May 2005 election.

Their answers will determine the degree of satisfaction with British Columbia’s current first-past-the-post system of electing MLAs – the system used in every other jurisdiction in Canada.

Or will they opt for something new – the STV or single transferable vote method?

In the last election, the question on the ballot read: “Should British Columbia change to the BC-STV electoral system as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform?”

This time, voters will be asked: “Which electoral system should British Columbia use to elect members to the provincial Legislative Assembly?

There will be two choices:

-The existing electoral system (First-Past-the-Post)

-The single transferable vote electoral system (BC-STV) proposed by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform

If STV passes it will be used for the next election in May 2013 and voters’ ballots will be much different looking.

For more coverage on the issue:

STV Vote could be last chance for reform

Party Leaders cast their votes in B.C. election