Data

General Issues
Governance & Political Institutions
Location
Vancouver
British Columbia
Canada
Scope of Influence
Regional
Components of this Case
British Columbia Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
British Columbia Referendum on Electoral Reform (2005)
Links
BC Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform Official Website
Start Date
End Date
Ongoing
No
Time Limited or Repeated?
A single, defined period of time
Approach
Direct decision making
Open to All or Limited to Some?
Mixed
General Types of Methods
Deliberative and dialogic process
Direct democracy
General Types of Tools/Techniques
Facilitate dialogue, discussion, and/or deliberation
Inform, educate and/or raise awareness
Specific Methods, Tools & Techniques
Citizens’ Assembly
Referendum
Public Hearing
Deliberation
Legality
Yes
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Both
Types of Interaction Among Participants
Express Opinions/Preferences Only
Discussion, Dialogue, or Deliberation
Ask & Answer Questions
Information & Learning Resources
Expert Presentations
Decision Methods
Voting
If Voting
Super-Majoritarian
Communication of Insights & Outcomes
Public Report
Public Hearings/Meetings
Traditional Media
Type of Organizer/Manager
Regional Government
Academic Institution

CASE

British Columbia Electoral Reform Process (2002-2005)

August 5, 2020 Jaskiran Gakhal, Participedia Team
February 19, 2019 Scott Fletcher Bowlsby
January 11, 2019 Scott Fletcher Bowlsby
August 4, 2018 Scott Fletcher Bowlsby
January 21, 2018 Scott Fletcher Bowlsby
January 19, 2018 Scott Fletcher Bowlsby
General Issues
Governance & Political Institutions
Location
Vancouver
British Columbia
Canada
Scope of Influence
Regional
Components of this Case
British Columbia Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
British Columbia Referendum on Electoral Reform (2005)
Links
BC Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform Official Website
Start Date
End Date
Ongoing
No
Time Limited or Repeated?
A single, defined period of time
Approach
Direct decision making
Open to All or Limited to Some?
Mixed
General Types of Methods
Deliberative and dialogic process
Direct democracy
General Types of Tools/Techniques
Facilitate dialogue, discussion, and/or deliberation
Inform, educate and/or raise awareness
Specific Methods, Tools & Techniques
Citizens’ Assembly
Referendum
Public Hearing
Deliberation
Legality
Yes
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Both
Types of Interaction Among Participants
Express Opinions/Preferences Only
Discussion, Dialogue, or Deliberation
Ask & Answer Questions
Information & Learning Resources
Expert Presentations
Decision Methods
Voting
If Voting
Super-Majoritarian
Communication of Insights & Outcomes
Public Report
Public Hearings/Meetings
Traditional Media
Type of Organizer/Manager
Regional Government
Academic Institution

Attempts to reform the Canadian province of British Columbia's electoral system involved educational outreach, a citizen's assembly to determine the best alternative to the current first-past-the-post system, and public hearings, culminating in a popular referendum.

Problems and Purpose

Plans to reform BC's electoral process were initiated by a growing public opposition to the existing first-past-the-post (FPTP) system. Anomolous electoral results in 1996 and 2001 were blamed on FPTP and party leaders and civil society groups began calling for reform. It was hoped that, with adequate public support, the FPTP system could be replaced by either single-transferable-vote or Mixed Member Proportionality — both of which were thought to result in a more fair vote-to-seat ratio.[1] 

Background History and Context

Public support for reform began with the anomolous results of the 1996 New Democratic Party election and increased after the Liberal Party came to power in 2001 through similar circumstances. Despite government promises and a failed effort by the Green Party to force a referendum on the issue, progress on reform began in earnest in 2002 with the hiring of Gordon Gibson to design a citizens' assembly.

Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities

Know who organized or funded this initiative? Help us complete this section!

Participant Recruitment and Selection 

Know how participants were recruited? Help us complete this section!

Methods and Tools Used

Public support through referendum was required to reform the electoral system. To this end, numerous methods of public outreach were pursued by government and civil society groups. Educational resources were printed in newspapers and made available online. A Citizens' Assembly was established to determine the best alternative to first-past-the-post. Over 50 public hearings were called and written submissions were accepted and considered by the Assembly. Polls were also conducted on both the public's knowledge and opinion of electoral systems. Finally, a referendum was called on the issue.[2] 

What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation 

Public Interaction

Public interaction during the reform process was varied, including educational campaigns by civil society groups and government officials. Polling was conducted before, during, and after the reform process by polling firms such as Angus Reid and Nordic Research Group. Polls indicated that voters remained uninformed on the technical aspects of electoral systems despite efforts by the government, the citizens' assembly, and various non-partisan groups. While the citizens' assembly was restricted to those chosen through random selection, the assembly was open to public feedback and made a point of issuing a technical report ahead of the referendum to inform citizens and encourage them to participate in the process through written submissions and over 50 public hearings.[2] 

Deliberation

The citizens' assembly was formally established by the governing Liberal party in 2003 and provided a forum for structured deliberation and debate on the issue of electoral reform. Specifically, the assembly was charged with weighing the pros and cons of each type of electoral system. The group heard from experts during Q&A panels and from the public during a public hearing. The assembly decided that single-transferable-vote (STV) was the most attractive alternative to FPTP due to its design which "make[s] every vote count, and...reflect[s] voters' support for candidates and parties as fairly as possible".[2]

Decisions

The recommendations of the citizens' assembly were put to popular vote through a referendum scheduled to coincide with the provinicial elections in May 2005.[1] 

Influence, Outcomes, and Effects

The Citizens' Assembly was largely a success, coming to a rational, informed decision after hearing from numerous experts, conducting research, engaging the public, and debating opinions. The referendum, however, failed to return a favourable result, falling just short of the super-majoritarian 60% requirement instated by the ruling Liberal government.[1]

Analysis and Lessons Learned 

Want to contribute an analysis of this initiative? Help us complete this section!

See Also 

British Columbia Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform

British Columbia Referendum on Electoral Reform (2005)

References

[1] Pilon, D. (2010). The 2005 and 2009 Referenda on Voting System Change in British Columbia. Canadian Political Science Review 4(2-3). https://ojs.unbc.ca/index.php/cpsr/article/view/251/301

[2] Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. Final Report. http://citizensassembly.arts.ubc.ca/

External Links

History of the British Columbia Citizens Assembly

Op-ED: "Who Killed the BC-STV?"

BC Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform — Final Report

The "Know STV" Campaign (urged 'no' vote)

Simulation of 2005 Election using STV boundaries

The Citizens Assembly Blog (covers citizens assembly developments worldwide)

Notes