By Corey Fischer

Update: ‘Fair Vote Vernon’ Gets Word Out

Jun 14, 2018 | 3:00 PM

A new Vernon group backing a change in BC’s voting system, says it faces a tough challenge to get its message out to voters.

Sue Young, coordinator with Fair Vote Vernon, says they support moving to proportional representation (PR), but are against the deep pockets of the BC Liberal Party, and other factors.

“We’re up against the wide media reach of a few prominent columnists, and we’re up against people’s busy lives, so it feels a lot like David against Goliath,” says Young to Beach Radio News.

Young says they have about 25 people on their mailing list now, and are holding small presentations at Ratio Coffee, and are planning larger info sessions at the library in the fall.

She says they are non partisan, but not neutral, urging people to vote Yes for change.

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“We are strong supporters of changing our voting system to proportional representation. Certainly, proportional representation will definitely not cure all the ills of the world, but we do believe it’s a step in the right direction.”

A PR system would connect the percentage of seats a party has in the legislature, to the percentage of people who voted for them.

“The very basic concept is that 40% of the vote should equal 40% of the seats in the legislature. Plain and simple,” says Young.

Young says any of the three proposed PR systems would provide a more equitable distribution of seats in the legislature, compared to the current first past-the-post system.

A mail-in referendum on the issue will be held this fall.

Listen to Sue Young from Far Vote Vernon in conversation with Beach Radio’s Pete McIntyre:

June 13:

A new group has been formed in Vernon in connection with this fall’s electoral reform referendum in BC.

Fair Vote Vernon is a chapter of FairVoteCanada.ca.

Organizers say they are non partisan, but believe Proportional Representation is a fairer voting system than the current First Past the Post system.

“Or as we saw in Ontario, winner takes all the power with 40% of the vote. Or as we have seen in BC where the last 15 of 17 governments were elected by a minority of voters. Our group wants to provide voters with accurate information about the positive reasons to vote for Proportional Representation,” says group member Heather Clay.

Group members will be greeting traffic Saturday morning with a Burma Shave wave for Proportional Representation from 10 to 11:30 by the Fruit Union Plaza intersection.

They also have a Facebook page called Fair Vote Vernon.

“Our next information session will be Friday June 22nd upstairs at Ratio coffee starting 6:30 PM. The convenor of our group, Sue Young, (email:premshya@telus.net) will be giving a half hour presentation followed by questions and answers,” says Clay.

by Corey Fischer