1. The electoral process and you!!!

2. Elections!!!
ELECTIONS ARE FORMAL DECISION MAKING PROCESSES WHERE THE POPULATION CHOOSES A CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL TO HOLD OFFICE.
A BY-ELECTION IS AN ELECTION HELD TO FILL A POLITICAL OFFICE THAT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER HAS BECOME VACANT.
EX: IF THE PRIME MINISTER DIES
IN AN ELECTION WE USE BALLOTS TO VOTE FOR THE REPRESENTATIVE THEY WOULD LIKE TO VOTE FOR

3. THE ELECTORAL PROCESS
IF YOU ARE 18 AND A CANADIAN CITIZEN YOU CAN RUN AS A CANDIDATE IN A FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY (RIDING/SEAT)
CONSTITUENCY: REFERS TO THE POPULATION IN A CERTAIN GEOGRAPHICAL AREA  GENERALLY 100, 000 PEOPLE
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT CANDIDATES WILL REPRESENT A CERTAIN POLITICAL PARTY. THEY MAY ALSO RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT
PARTY PLATFORM OUTLINE THE GOALS AND BELIEFS OF EACH POLITICAL PARTY. WHEN PEOPLE AGREE WITH A POLITICAL PARTY’S PLATFORM THEY VOTE FOR THAT PARTY IN THEIR RIDING (USUALLY…)

4. Canada’s electoral map - 2015

5. TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS
MAJORITY GOVERNMENT: WHEN ONE PARTY WINS MORE THAN HALF OF THE SEATS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
MINORITY GOVERNMENT: WHEN ONE PARTY HAS THE MOST SEATS (MORE THAN AY OTHER PARTY) IN THE HOUSE BUT IT IS NOT MORE THAN HALF OF THE SEATS.
COALITION GOVERNMENT: HAPPENS WHEN TWO OR MORE PARTIES JOIN TO GOVERN TOGETHER. USUALLY CONSIDERED WEAK. NOTHING GETS PASSED IN THE HOUSE UNLESS THEY ALL COOPERATE.

6. THE SIX STAGES FOR EACH ELECTION
1. DISSOLUTION
2. ENUMERATION
3. NOMINATION
4. CAMPAIGNING
5. BALLOTTING
6. TABULATION

7. 1. DISSOLUTION
GOVERNOR GENERAL DISSOLVES THE HOUSE OF COMMONS  DONE BY RECOMMENDATION OF THE PRIME MINISTER
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ARE DISMISSED AND A NEW ELECTION DATE IS SET BY THE PRIME MINISTER  MUST BE WITHIN 50 DAYS OF DISSOLVING PARLIAMENT
VOTE OF NON-CONFIDENCE MAY FORCE AN ELECTION BEFORE THIS.
“DROPPING THE WRIT” IS A TERM USED TO DECRIBE WHEN THE PRIME MINISTER GOES TO THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND ASKS THEM TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT

8. 2. ENUMERATION ENUMERATION REFERS TO THE PREPARATION OF VOTERS LISTS
AFTER PARLIAMENT IS DISSOLVED THE GOVERNOR GENERAL GOES TO THE CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER AND ISSUES ELECTION WRITS
REURNING OFFICERS MAKE UP LISTS OF VOTERS NAMES

9. 3. NOMINATION
ONCE ELECTION WRITS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, EACH PARTY HAS TO DECIDE WHO WILL BE THEIR PARTY’S CANDIDATE IN EACH CONSTITUENCY.
THIS SELECTION PROCESS IS CALLED NOMINATION
MUST BE 18+ AND A CANADIAN CITIZEN TO RUN
PARTIES HOLD NOMINATION MEETINGS IN CONSTITUENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE PARTY MEMBERS VOTE ON NOMINEES
CANDIDATES WITH NO POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION ARE KNOWN AS INDEPENDANTS
EVERY CANDIDATE MUST MAKE A DEPOSIT OF $200

10. 4.CAMPAIGNING
POLITICAL PARTIES AND CANDIDATES CAMPAIGN FROM THE TIME ELECTION WRITS ARE ISSUED UNTIL THE WEEKEND BEFORE THE ELCTION DAY
THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES TO THE PUBLIC
THEY USE MULTIPLE MEDIA OUTLETS
THEY TRY TO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR THEM
GENERALLY THEY USE POLITICAL ADS

14. POLITICAL ADS 2015 CAMPAIGN ADS
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NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN ADS

15. Think – pair – share
In your table groups find a political ad, either poster, picture or video.
Is it in favour or against a certain political party?
Which party is it for or against?
Who made the ad?
What is the ad saying?
Why do you think the ad was made?
Be prepared to share with the class. 

16. 5. BALLOTING EACH POLLING STATION IS OPEN FROM 8AM TO 8PM
BY LAW EMPOYERS ARE REQUIRED TO ALLOW THEIR WORKERS TIME TO VOTE.
POLLING STATIONS ARE USUALLY LOCATED UN A SCHOOL, CHURCH, OR COMMUNITY CENTRE
IF YOU CANNOT VOTE ON ELECTION DAY, ADVANCE POLLS ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
EACH POLLING STATION IS MANNED BY A DEPUTY RETURNING OFFICER, THEY CHECK VOTERS OFF ON THE VOTERS LIST AS THEY COME TO VOTE!
PROCESS: VOTER GETS A BALLOT, PENCIL’S IN AN “X” ON THEIR CHOICE, GIVES THE BALLOT BACK TO THE DEPUTY RETURNING OFFICER, IT GETS DROPPED IN A SPECIAL LOCK BOX

17. 6. TABULATION POLLING STATIONS CLOSE BALLOT BOXES ARE OPENED
BALLOTS ARE COUNTED BY THE DEPUTY RETURNING OFFICERS  OFTEN NOW COMPUTERS ARE USED
A SCRUTINEER OBSERVES THE COUNTING
THIS IS HOW TABULATION WORKS
SINCE THE 1960s VOTER TURN OUT HAS STEADILY DECREASED

18. THE ELECTORAL PROCESS
REPRESENTATION BY POPULATION  WE ELECT REPRESENTATIVES IN EACH RIDING THAT REPRESENT US IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
RIDINGS ARE ABOUT 100, 000 PEOPLE AND ARRANGED GOEGRAPHICALLY
SOME RIDINGS ARE MASSIVE DUE TO SMALL, RURAL POPULATIONS
NUNAVUT HAS ONE RIDING, VANCOUVER ALONE HAS 16
EVERY TEN YEARS WITH A CENSUS THE BOUNDARIES ARE REDRAWN BECAUSE OF POPULATION REDISTRIBUTION

21. PUBLIC OPINION POLLS
POLITICAL PARTIES SPEND ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON PUBLIC OPINION POLLS.
MASS MEDIA SPENDS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME REVEALING THESE POLLS TO THE PUBLIC
QUESTION: HOW COULD PUBLIC OPINION POLLS AFFECT VOTER TURN OUT?

22. ELECTION EXPENCES ACT
CAMPAIGN SPENDING IS LIMITED BY ELIGIBLE VOTERS PER RIDING
DONATIONS CAN BE MADE TO CAMPAIGNS, ONLY THOSE DONATIONS OVER $200 MUST BE MADE PUBLIC.
QUESTION: WHY WOULD PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHO IS DONATING TO A POLITICAL PARTY?
IF YOU RECEIVE 15% OF THE VOTES IN YOUR RIDING, YOU ARE REIMBRSED HALF OF YOUR COSTS

23. FIRST-PAST-THE-POST-SYSTEM
THIS MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT NEED A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES, YOU JUST NEED THE MOST VOTES IN YOUR RIDING TO BE ELECTED
THE CANDIDATE WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES IN EACH RIDING WINS A SEAT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND REPRESENTS THAT RIDING IN PARLIAMENT
FIRST PAST THE POST
SOME COUNTRIES USE PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION OR SINGLE TRANSFERABLE VOTE SYSTEMS.

24. WAYS TO CHANGE THINGS! CONTACT CITY COUNCIL, MLA OR MP
COMMUNICATE WITH PUBLIC SERVANTS
SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, CALL INTO RADIO OR TV PROGRAMS

25. PRESSURE GROUPS AND LOBBYISTS
DEFINITION: GROUPS WHO SEEK TO INFLUENCE THE GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND DECISIONS
1. INSTITUTIONALIZED: WELL ESTABLISHED, FORMAL, ALWAYS AROUND
2. ISSUE-ORIENTED: LESS PERMANENT, SMALLER AIMS, DISAPPEAR AFTER
INSTITUTIONALIZED EX’S: GREENPEACE, CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY, FREE THE CHILDREN, UNITED WAY, CANADIAN RED CROSS, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS, WESTERN CANADIAN WILDERNESS COMMITTEE
WHAT DO THEY DO?
-PROVIDE INFORMATION TO GOVERNMENT, HIRE LOBBYISTS, TAKE ISSUES TO COURT

26. UTILIZING THE MASS MEDIA
MASS MEDIA DICTATES MOST OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE SEE
ISSUES THAT GET A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM THE MEDIA USUALLY GET MORE ATTENTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
SOME GROUPS PULL PUBLICITY STUNTS TO DRAW MORE ATTENTION TO THEIR ISSUE.
CAN YOU THINK OF SOME EXAMPLES?

27. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
ACT OF INTENTIONALLY BREAKING THE LAW THAT SOMEONE DEEMS UNJUST
INVOLVES: TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS AND BE WILLING TO FACE PUNISHMENT.
EXAMPLES???

28. THE END 