For immediate release
October 5, 2011

Q: Quickly now, how much is 46% of 57?
A: You might think the answer is 28.5 but if you live in Manitoba, the answer is 37. The Manitoba NDP got 46% of the votes cast in the October 4th election, but won 8 more seats than they earned for a total of 37.

Q: Which is greater, 39.6 or 43.9?
A: Obviously 43.9...except in Canada where 39.6% earned Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a “majority” government and unlimited power in last May’s federal election, but 43.9% for Manitoba Progressive Conservative leader Hugh McFadyen in the Manitoba provincial election means disgrace and resignation.

"Obviously, we didn't get those votes in the right places to translate into seats in the Manitoba legislature," said McFadyen. Exactly. Under the first-past-the-post voting system, whether your vote counts or not depends on how you vote and on where you vote.

If you find this confusing and dispiriting, you’re not alone. Almost half of Manitoba voters couldn’t be bothered to vote.

“Although less than 3% separated the parties provincially, hardly any riding contests were close,” said Shoni Field, president of Fair Vote Canada (FVC). “When they know their vote won’t make a difference, when the outcome won’t reflect the will of the people, unfortunately many Canadians say ‘why bother voting at all?’.

Fair Vote Canada is a national, multi-partisan, citizens’ movement for electoral reform.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” added FVC Executive Director Wayne Smith. “Most developed countries have been using modern, proportional voting systems for the last century, to make election results make sense.”

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Contact:

Shoni Field, President
Shoni.Field@FairVote.Ca
604-720-0541

Wayne Smith, Executive Director
Wayne.Smith@FairVote.Ca
416-407-7009

http://FairVote.Ca