So Many Voters - So Little Say


Under Alberta's first-past-the-post voting system, about half of the votes cast do not help elect any candidate.

In the 2008 provincial election, for example, 433,543 Albertans cast ballots (46% of the total) that did not help elect any candidate. In 2004, it was 431,455 ballots (48.4% of the total). But other countries determine the winners and losers by counting all the votes, as close as mathematically possible.

  • In the 2005 New Zealand election, 98.69% of the ballots helped elect a candidate.
  • In the 2005 German election, 94.4% of the ballots helped elect a candidate.
  • In the 2007 Irish election, 98% of the ballots helped elect a candidate.

The more ballots that count towards someone's election, the more representative the results. It's a fairer way of holding elections and it's easier to hold the elected candidates accountable. Fairer representation and more accountability. Voting reform would be an excellent way to renew our democracy.