PowerPoint 5: Electoral Districts and Local Candidates

What is an electoral district? An electoral district is the name given to a geographical area represented by an elected official. It is also known as a riding or constituency. The size of an electoral district is determined by population size and geographical features (roads, landmarks, etc.). Urban electoral districts are small and densely populated, while rural electoral districts are large and sparse.

What is an MLA? At the provincial level in Nova Scotia, the elected official is called a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). MLAs represent the needs and interests of their constituents (people living in their electoral district) and deal with issues at the local level. Nova Scotia will be electing 51 MLAs in the 2017 provincial election.

What is an electoral system? An electoral system is the way that citizens’ choices, expressed as votes, are translated into legislative seats. All electoral systems have three basic elements: District magnitude: the number of members elected per electoral district Ballot type: the way in which choices are presented to voters Electoral formula: the method for determining which candidate gets elected

What is our electoral system? Nova Scotia uses a system called First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) or Single-Member Plurality – where one member is elected per electoral district. The rules: Voters can only choose one candidate on their ballot. The candidate that receives the most votes wins (this is called plurality).

How does First-Past-The-Post work? An example of FPTP, in an electoral district with 100 ballots cast. CANDIDATE NUMBER OF VOTES Lisa (Banana Party) 40 Mohamed (Pear Party) 15 Emma (Apple Party) 11 Thomas (Independent) 34 Lisa wins because she has the most votes (40), even though most voters chose someone else (60 voters).

How does someone run for election? A person running for election is called a candidate. Any person who wants to run in the provincial election must file nomination papers with Elections Nova Scotia by the nomination deadline. Political parties select candidates to run for their party in electoral districts across the province. Candidates can also run as independents (without any affiliation to a party). Elections Nova Scotia posts the names of the candidates on their website: www.electionsnovascotia.ca

Your Own Political Views Your political views are developed from your experiences, personal values and opinions. Your views are also shaped by talking to people whose opinions you respect, researching media and by reflecting on your values.

Getting to know the Candidates There are many ways to gather information about your local candidates: town hall meetings or candidate debates, radio and television, newspaper and magazines, websites and social media, and campaign offices and events. To make an informed decision, it is helpful to reflect on how you feel about the topics discussed throughout the campaign.

Final Thoughts How should you evaluate candidates? What characteristics or qualifications do you expect from your MLA? Which local issues are important to you?