Who are the Orphan Voters? The democratically neglected, abused and abandoned citizens who find the
doors of Parliament slammed in their faces because their votes elected no one.

The victims of our uncaring electoral system include Liberals in the West, Conservatives in urban centres, and New Democrats and Greens everywhere. In fact, the majority of Canadians who cast ballots in federal elections usually elect no one.

Fair Vote Canada invites Canada’s seven million Orphan Voters to use this site as a refuge, a learning centre and, most importantly, a staging area to launch a long overdue democratic revolution.

Why so many Orphan Voters in Canada?

Orphan Voters have all but disappeared in most major democracies. Unlike Canada, most western nations eliminated the cause – the antiquated first-past-the-post voting system – last century.

Why is this system so bad?

Most of us cast votes that elect no one

In each riding, only the voters supporting the most popular party can elect an MP. The other voters send no one to Ottawa. These Orphan Voters quite rightly feel that the doors of Parliament have been slammed shut, denying them access, and leaving them abandoned on the street.

The system gives us unfair election results

Because politicians can win seats even when the majority vote against them, the overall election results are skewed. A party winning only 40% of the vote may gain 60% or more of the seats and 100% of the power. Other parties win far fewer seats than they deserve, or even none at all.

The system puts power in the wrong hands

Because election results are wildly distorted, a party often wins a majority of seats without winning a majority of votes. Canada has had only four legitimate majority governments, elected by a majority of voters, since World War I.

How can we solve the Orphan Voter problem?