Trudeu's Regret that the Ranking vote system did not happen.

                               How Ranked-Choice Voting Works

  1. Ballot Structure:

    • Voters rank candidates in order of preference (e.g., 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice).

  2. Counting Votes:

    • First Round: Only the first-choice votes are counted. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, they are declared the winner.
    • Elimination and Redistribution:
      • If no candidate gets a majority (>50%), the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
      • Votes for the eliminated candidate are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on the voters’ next preferences (e.g., their 2nd choice).
    • This process repeats until one candidate achieves a majority.

Advantages:

  • Broad Support: A candidate needs broader appeal to win, as they must attract second and third-choice support from other candidates’ backers.
  • Discourages Negative Campaigning: Candidates are incentivized to appeal to more voters, including those who might rank them second or third, reducing negative attacks.
  • Eliminates Vote Splitting: Prevents situations where similar candidates split the vote, allowing a less popular candidate to win.

Challenges:

  • Complexity: Voters unfamiliar with ranked-choice voting might find it confusing.
  • Counting Time: Counting and redistributing votes can take longer compared to a simple first-past-the-post system.
  • Strategic Voting: Some voters might rank candidates tactically rather than honestly (e.g., not ranking a strong opponent as a second choice).

Example Scenario:

Suppose three candidates—A, B, and C—are running:

  • Initial Count:

    • Candidate A: 40% (1st-choice votes).
    • Candidate B: 35%.
    • Candidate C: 25%.

  • Elimination of Candidate C:

    • C’s 25% of votes are redistributed to A and B based on those voters’ 2nd choices.

  • Final Count:

    • Candidate A ends with 55% (adding redistributed votes).
    • Candidate B ends with 45%.

Winner: Candidate A, with a majority after redistribution.

If implemented federally, this system could change Canada’s political landscape significantly. For instance, it might encourage cooperation among parties or lead to centrist candidates being more successful, as they could garner widespread second-choice support.