People from five South Okanagan communities met to encourage a “yes” vote for the upcoming provincial referendum on proportional representation. The referendum, which will give BC voters the choice of keeping the current first-past-the-post electoral system or switching to a system of proportional representation, will be held this fall by way of a mail-in ballot.
The newly formed Fair Vote South Okanagan Similkameen  team has begun reaching out to voters at community events and online. They aim to inform the public on how proportional representation can create a more inclusive and accountable electoral system.
Organizer of the local team, Diana McGregor, is determined to get out the facts, “Public opinion polls show that the majority of British Columbian support proportional representation. We want to improve and modernize our voting system so everyone’s vote counts.”
Local leaders of both the New Democrats and the Greens agree that the voting system needs to be modernized.
Penticton Green candidate, Connie Sahlmark commented, “In our current system, about half the voters cast a ballot which elects no one and has no impact on election outcomes – the result is voter apathy which is easily understandable.”
Local New Democrat President, Tina Lee, agrees, “This is about making every vote count, not partisan politics. This referendum is a chance to fix an electoral system that too often silences the majority of voters.”
Systems of Proportional Representation are used by 85% of OECD nations. Many in the province see the coming referendum as more important than many elections. They see it as a chance to boost the public’s faith in democracy and encourage a higher voter turn out.
The group states it is non-partisan but includes no info from the Liberal party.