1. Canada’s Electoral System
The Right To Vote

2. Representative Democracy
Citizens elect representatives to act on their behalf
Citizens have the ability to elect a new govt if they are unhappy with the current one

3. The Election Process 1. The Call 2. The Nominations
Elections must be held every 5 years
2. The Nominations
Candidates are selected by locals
3. The Voters’ list
Voter lists are prepared in every province
Can be called earlier than that by the PM
Registered voters
Voting is confidential
VIDEO INTRO TO ELECTORAL SYSTEM
4. Election Campaign
Period of time when political leaders and their candidates promote their platform
5. Election Day
Voters go to polling stations

4. First-Past-The-Post System
Candidate 1 (NDP) = 30%
Candidate 2 (Lib) = 40%
Candidate 3 (Cons) = 25%
Candidate 4 (GP) =5%
Canada is divided up into constituencies/ridings
Citizens within the riding vote for a candidate (attached to a party)
Winning candidate = candidate with most votes
They do not need more than 50% of the votes to win
What determines the area of a riding = population (roughly 100,000 people per riding)
Candidate 2 wins and gets a seat in Parliament as a MP

5. 338 seats in the HOC

6. Types of Govt Majority Govt
A Party has won MORE THAN HALF the seats in the House of Commons
Minority Govt
A Party has won the most votes, BUT NOT MORE THAN ALL THE OTHER PARTIES COMBINED
Less power….why?
MjG: 338 seats in HOC: more that 169 seats for 1 party
MnG: must rely on votes from other parties to pass laws
Opposition parties could unite, and take the MnG out of power!
338 seats in the HOC (130 = lib, 100 = cons, 75 = ndp, 20 =BQ, 13 = GP)

7. Types of Govt Coalition Govt No party has a majority of seats
2 or more parties join to form 1 govt
They choose a PM