Elections in Canada

What is an election? An election is the process of voting to select a candidate(s) for political office to represent your community or region A general election is where there is an election held in a majority of regions to select candidates for political office In Canada, a general election occurs at least once every 5 years to select members of parliament for the House of Commons

Why is an election called? An election is called when a government bill is defeated in the House of Commons and the Governor General dissolves parliament An election can also be called by the Prime Minister if he/she feels that the government has the support of the people (strong showing in the polls) and is confident that they will be re-elected In this case, the PM can ask the Governor General to dissolve parliament and call a general election

What is a campaign? A campaign is the period of time leading up to election day where candidates work to gather support During their campaign, candidates attempt to “reach out” to as many voters as possible to convince them that their platform (plans) is the right one to follow

Public Opinion Polls Public opinion polls are surveys conducted by polling companies to interview a cross section of the population to represent the views and opinions of Canadians in general During election campaigns, polling occurs on a regular basis to attempt to assess where public support lies and which party/person is favoured Polling is where people are asked a series of questions regarding their voting preferences and their opinions of the political parties, candidates, and issues.

2006 Election Map of Canada

The Canadian Electoral System The Canadian electoral system is a multi-party system The electoral system is designed in such a fashion that the candidate with the most votes in each riding is declared the winner This is called the first-past-the-post system The winner does not necessarily have to win a majority of the votes cast; he/she simply has to win more votes that any other candidate

Why not proportional representation? What is proportional representation? Proportional representation is where the number of seats a party wins in the legislature is based on the total number of votes it receives For example, in a 100 seat legislature, if a party receives 42 % of the popular vote, they would take 42 seats. Each seat would be allotted to the candidates that received the most votes

Influencing Government There are several ways that one can influence the government One can contact his/her local MP and express their view or concerns One can communicate with public servants who conduct the daily business of the government One can send letters to editors of newspapers and magazines to convey their concerns One might contact the media (television or radio) to express one’s view/concerns with regards to the government All of these are a means of influencing government; however, individual action may not be as effective as group action

Pressure Groups Pressure groups are organized groups of people who seek to influence or pressure the government They are also called interest groups or lobby groups Pressure groups are composed of people who share a common point of view and want to change government policy in favour of their common interest

Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience is the act of deliberately breaking the law to protest laws that one thinks are unjust or unfair

The Principles of Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience should not involve violence Civil disobedience should be directed against laws that are seriously harmful Civil disobedience requires taking responsibility for one’ actions. Willingness to face punishment shows the strength of one’s convictions and beliefs

Examples of Civil Disobedience Road Blockades Sit in’s in government offices Political protest parades or walks Passive resistance Graffitti or signs or banners Bumper stickers Sabatoge or interference in progress

The Electoral Process Voting is the process where people select a representative from a list of candidates Voting takes place at polling stations which are usually set up in schools and churches Each polling station is managed by an electoral officer who is responsible for ensuring that every vote is legitimate and accountable