Slide Deck 9 Federal Elections Why do we

Slide Deck 9: Federal Elections

Why do we have elections?

What is an election? • An election is the process for determining our political representatives and the political direction of our government • Elections are contests of leadership, ideas, politics and power, where interested groups and individuals campaign for our support and, ultimately, our vote

What is a candidate? • An individual who seeks public office or competes for the job of elected representative is called a candidate • At the federal and provincial levels, most candidates are associated with a political party • A political party brings together people with similar political views and goals who are seeking to effect change by being elected

An electoral system is the way in which voters are able to express their preferences and how the results are determined. Different electoral systems exist around the world.

What is an electoral district? • Canada is divided into 338 electoral districts (or ridings), which are defined geographic areas • The size of electoral districts is determined by factors such as population size, demographic make-up and geography • Urban electoral districts are often smaller and more populous, while rural electoral districts are larger with less dense populations. Yukon has 1 electoral district for the whole territory, whereas the city of Toronto has 25.

Map of official results for the 42 nd general election (2015)

Electoral districts across Canada Provinces and Territories British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Ontario Quebec New Brunswick Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia Newfoundland Labrador Yukon Northwest Territories Nunavut 42 34 14 14 121 78 10 4 11 7 1 1 1 Cities Vancouver Calgary Edmonton Regina Winnipeg Toronto Ottawa Montreal and Laval Quebec City 15 10 9 3 8 25 8 23 5

What is our electoral system? • Canada uses a system called First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) or Single-Member Plurality • Only one member is elected per electoral district • The rules: – Voters can only choose one candidate on their ballot – The candidate that receives the most votes wins (this is called plurality)

How does First-Past-The-Post work? An example of FPTP, in an electoral district 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). The winning candidate does not need receive support from a majority of voter – just one more vote than any other candidate.

Registered Political Parties in Canada Alliance of the North Animal Protection Party of Canada Bloc Quebecois Christian Heritage Party of Canada Communist Party of Canada Conservative Party of Canada Green Party of Canada Liberal Party of Canada Libertarian Party of Canada Marijuana Party Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada National Citizens Alliance of Canada New Democratic Party People’s Party of Canada Progressive Canadian Party Rhinoceros Party Question: Can you guess which issues these parties feel strongly about?

How do political parties work? • Anyone above the required age (usually 14 years old) can join the party • Party members choose their party’s leader and candidates, and help them get elected • During elections, parties release a platform which is a series of policy ideas linked to specific issues

FINAL THOUGHTS Which party or candidate will best address my interests and concerns for the province? Which issue is most important to you in the election? Why?