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The Outcome
There are 107 members of the Legislative Assembly to be elected. There are 107 ridings. One person is elected in each riding. |
How Do You Vote?
On a single ballot you vote for as many candidates as you want, ranking them in order of preference. Each of these candidates may or may not be affiliated with a party. |
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Example
There are five voters and three candidates called A, B and C:
Step 1: First choices are counted. A receives 2 votes, B receives 2 votes and C receives 1 vote. Step 2: No candidate has a majority of the votes, so the weakest candidate, C, is eliminated. Step 3: Since voter 5’s first choice, C, is eliminated, her second choice, A, is considered. Step 4: With the added vote of Voter 5, Candidate A now has 3 votes compared to 2 votes for candidate B. Step 5: A has a majority of votes and wins the election. |
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How Are the Votes Counted?
Step 1: The count begins with votes for first choice. If a candidate is the first choice of a majority of voters, that candidate wins. Step 2: If no candidate gets a majority of first choice votes, the candidate with the fewest “first choice” votes is eliminated. Step 3: The second choices of the voters whose first choice is eliminated are added to the other voters’ first choices. If a candidate now receives a majority of the votes, that candidate wins. Step 4: This continues until one candidate receives a majority of the votes. |
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Advantages
All elected members receive support from a majority of voters. There is one representative per riding. This leads to stronger ties between the representative and the voters. Candidates who are unacceptable to a majority of voters cannot be elected. |
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Disadvantages
Despite being the first choice of few people, it is still possible for a candidate to be elected. Alternative voting is complex and may be hard to understand. It is difficult for small parties’ candidates to receive the support of a majority and be elected. |