Philippine Asian News Today Vol 20 No 21 | Page 14

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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY November 1 - 15, 2018
Everything you need to know about the 2018
Referendum on Electoral Reform
Provincial elections are an
important part of our democracy
— and in just a few weeks, British
Columbians will have a chance to vote
on the province’s voting system.
From October 22 to November
30, 2018, B.C. residents will cast their
ballots by mail in a referendum that
will decide if B.C. keeps the current
First Past the Post voting system, or
moves to a system of proportional
representation.
What is the referendum?
The referendum will ask B.C.
voters two questions. Your ballot will
count even if you don’t answer both.
The first question is whether or not
B.C. should keep its current First Past
the Post voting system or move to a
system of proportional representation.
The second asks voters to rank three
different proportional systems in
order of preference: Dual Member
Proportional (DMP), Mixed Member
Proportional (MMP) and Rural-Urban
Proportional (RUP).
If a proportional representation
voting system is adopted, it must be
in place for provincial elections called
on or after July 1, 2021. A legislative
committee would determine some
aspects of how the new system would
work. The provincial government
has said there would be another
referendum after two general
elections asking voters if they want
to keep the new voting system or
return using First Past the Post.
Who can vote — and how
To vote in the referendum, you
must be a Canadian citizen, 18 or
older on November 30, 2018 and a
resident of B.C. since at least May
29, 2018.
Voters can expect to receive their
voting package in the mail between
October 22 and November 2.
Elections BC is updating the voters
list now to help make sure eligible
voters receive a voting package.
If you’ve never registered to vote
before, moved recently or have
changed your name, visit elections.
bc.ca/ovr or call 1-800-661-8683 to
make sure your information is up-
to-date.
If you don’t receive a voting
package in the mail by November 2,
there’s no reason to panic — you can
request a package online or by phone
until November 23, or request one at a
Referendum Service Office or Service
BC Centre starting November 5.
If you’re going to be away this fall,
don’t worry, you can still vote. You can
provide Elections BC with a temporary
mailing address where they can send
your voting package, or you can pick
one up at a Referendum Service Office
or Service BC Centre.
What can I do to prepare?
Along with conducting your own
personal research, visit Elections
BC’s website for neutral information
about the characteristics of the voting
systems on the ballot. Elections BC
is there to help you vote, so contact
them if you have questions when you
get your voting package.
The final thing you can do to
prepare for the vote is to, well, vote.
Elections BC needs to receive your
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
ballot before 4:30 pm on November
30, 2018, so it should be mailed with
plenty of time to ensure your vote
is counted. You can also drop it off
in person at a Referendum Service
Office or Service BC Centre starting
November 5.
Your vote is an important decision,
and there are lots of resources available
to help you make your choice. For
more information, visit Elections BC’s
website or read their Voter’s Guide.
(Election BC website)