Local News
Students pushing for electoral reform
By TONY CLARKE
Mar 27, 2008, 04:13

Students at the University of Lethbridge concerned with low voter turnout in the last provincial election have decided to do something about it.
Four students have formed a non-partisan group to push the province toward electoral reform.
On April 3, at 7 p.m., they will be hosting write-a-thon in Galileo’s Gallery, located between The Service Centre and the Tea Castle in the Students’ Union Food Court.
Letters written will be addressed to Premier Ed Stelmach demanding a citizens’ assembly on electoral reform.
Group spokesperson Michelle Morris, a fourth-year political science student, said the current electoral system in Alberta uses yesterday’s half-baked solutions for tomorrow’s pressing problems.
“We were really disappointed with the number of those eligible who didn’t vote in the last election,” said Morris. “What 41 per cent tells me is that Alberta’s democracy is not functioning as well as it could be.”
Alberta has a significant history of voter apathy, she said, adding British Columbia and Ontario have already confronted the issue having appointed citizens’ assemblies on electoral reform.
Creating this in Alberta will encourage more residents to get involved in their democracy, she said.
“I think we can anticipate the trend of low voter turnout to continue if there is a lack of citizen engagement. The Universities of Alberta and Calgary have similar groups started, so we are just trying to get the ball rolling here.”
The students will be circulating a petition at the U of L campus which has been donated by www.fairvotecanada.org/alberta. They also have a Facebook group called “A Citizens’ Assembly for Alberta. We Demand It” for people to join and find more information about their campaign.
The group points out in the last provincial election, the Conservatives received 52.66 per cent of the vote share and 87 per cent of the seats in the Alberta Legislature. In comparison, the Liberals received 26.37 of the vote share and only 11 per cent of the seats.
A citizens’ assembly in Alberta, they indicate, will consider various solutions to this problem, with a form of proportional representation as a possible fix.
They further explained from 1926-56, Alberta used a form of proportional representation in the cities and a form of alternative vote in other constituencies.
In 1956, the Social Credit government eliminated this system and introduced the system we use today. Candidates now require only a plurality of votes, meaning a candidate can win with less than the majority of approval from voters in their constituencies.

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