B.C. voters reject switch to proportional representation for third time
VICTORIA — Voters in British Columbia have rejected a proposal to switch to a system of proportional representation to elect members of the legislature for a third time, prompting all three parties to declare electoral reform a dead issue.
The current first-past-the-post system received 61.3 per cent of the votes cast in a mail-in referendum, while proportional representation got 38.7 per cent in the results released Thursday by Elections BC.
“I think electoral reform is finished,” deputy premier Carole James said. “The public has clearly spoken. As elected officials you always know the public is right.”
About 1.4 million voters cast ballots by the Dec. 7 deadline, which represents a turnout of 42.6 per cent of eligible voters.