The Provincial Electoral Process Lesson 9.3

Comparing Municipal and Provincial Elections “ A man who had been working on a mission in Antarctica for over a year had no contact with anyone from Canada during his time away, had just returned home to Alberta. As his taxi was driving him home from the airport, the man saw a woman putting up a sign which read ‘Vote for Eleanor Jane, your Alberta West candidate!’ He turned to the taxi driver and said, “Oh I see we are in the middle of a provincial election.” “Sir,” asked the taxi driver who knew his passenger had been away, “How do you know we aren’t having a municipal or federal election?” “Oh that is easy,” the man replied. “I noticed…” Discuss your answers in a Think/Pair/Share activity. How would this man know it is a provincial election? What makes It different from municipal and federal elections?

10 Minute Summary The class will be divided into 6 groups – representing the 6 steps of the electoral process: 1. Nominating 2. Campaigning 3. Preparing the Polling Stations 4. Showing Eligibility to vote 5. Casting and Counting Votes 6. Declaring the Outcome Your group has 10 minutes to summarize notes for you sections and share it to the rest of the class. HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LOCAL AND PROVICINAL ELECTIONS!

FREJ ALERT! How is the voting process democratic for the following sections: 1. Nominating 2. Casting and counting votes 3. Declaring the Outcome

FREJ ALERT Answers 1. Nominating: Anybody can nominate another person, providing she is eligible to vote. Nominations are free from discrimination. 2. Casting and Counting votes: One person has one vote, voters choose a representative, people who cant vote on election day at their polls are provided alternative arrangements 3. Declaring the Outcome: Counting is done with sworn officials and scrutineers are free to watch. There are established rules about whether a ballot is declared valid or invalid.

How are Constituencies Determined Compare the graphs on page 254 Notice: Calgary and Edmonton both have fewer seats than the rest of Alberta, but together they have more population than the rest of Alberta. No constituencies have the exact same number Northern constituencies have a small population because they cover a greater area Populations change everyday but constituencies don’t change frequently

Constituency discussion Questions 1. How is being able to change electoral boundaries a sign of democracy? 2. How do constituencies reflect fairness and equity in a democracy? 3. Why are population statistics important in running a democratic government?