Power Point 5 Constituencies and Local Candidates What

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Power. Point 5: Constituencies and Local Candidates

Power. Point 5: Constituencies and Local Candidates

What is a constituency? • A constituency is the name given to a geographical

What is a constituency? • A constituency is the name given to a geographical area represented by an elected official. • It is also known as a riding, electoral district or electoral division. • The size of a constituency is determined by population size and geographical features (roads, landmarks, etc. ). • Urban ridings are small and densely populated, while rural ridings are large and sparse.

What is an MLA? • At the provincial level in Saskatchewan, the elected official

What is an MLA? • At the provincial level in Saskatchewan, the elected official is called a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). • MLAs represent the needs and interests of their constituents (people living in their constituency) and deal with issues at the local level. • Saskatchewan will be electing 61 MLAs in the 2016 provincial election.

What is an electoral system? • An electoral system is the way that citizens’

What is an electoral system? • An electoral system is the way that citizens’ choices, expressed as votes, are translated into legislative seats. • All electoral systems have three basic elements: – District magnitude: the number of members elected per constituency – Ballot type: the way in which choices are presented to voters – Electoral formula: the method for determining which candidate gets elected

What is our electoral system? • Saskatchewan uses a system called First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) or

What is our electoral system? • Saskatchewan uses a system called First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) or Single-Member Plurality. • Citizens elect one member per constituency. • Voters can only choose one candidate on their ballot. • The winning candidate must receive at least one more vote than any other candidate. This is also known as a plurality.

How does First-Past-The-Post work? An example of FPTP, in a constituency with 100 ballots

How does First-Past-The-Post work? An example of FPTP, in a constituency with 100 ballots cast. CANDIDATE Lisa (Banana Party) Mohamed (Pear Party) Emma (Apple Party) Thomas (Independent) NUMBER OF VOTES 40 15 11 34 Lisa wins because she has the most votes (40), even though most voters chose someone else (60 voters).

How does someone run for election? • A person running for election is called

How does someone run for election? • A person running for election is called a candidate. • Any person who wants to run in the provincial election must file nomination papers with Elections Saskatchewan by the nomination deadline. • Political parties select candidates to run for their party in constituencies across the province. • Candidates can also run as independents (without any affiliation to a party). • Elections Saskatchewan posts the names of the candidates on their website: www. elections. sk. ca

Your Own Political Views • Your political views are developed from your experiences, personal

Your Own Political Views • Your political views are developed from your experiences, personal values and opinions. • Your views are also shaped by talking to people whose opinions you respect, researching media and by reflecting on your values.

Getting to know the Candidates • There are many ways to gather information about

Getting to know the Candidates • There are many ways to gather information about your local candidates: town hall meetings or candidate debates, radio and television, newspaper and magazines, websites and social media, and campaign offices and events. • To make an informed decision, it is helpful to reflect on how you feel about the topics discussed throughout the campaign.

Final Thoughts • How should you evaluate candidates? • What characteristics or qualifications do

Final Thoughts • How should you evaluate candidates? • What characteristics or qualifications do you expect from your MLA? • Which local issues are important to you?