More than 50 per cent of vote needed to win
Q What is a ranked, or preferential, ballot?
A It’s a system in which you rank the candidates in order of preference. If nobody wins a simple majority outright, the person with the least number of votes drops off and their second-place votes are distributed to other candidates. This cycle continues until someone accumulates more than 50 per cent of the vote.
Q Which countries use ranked ballots?
A Australia and Ireland use them for presidential elections, as do some cities in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand. Alberta, B.C. and Manitoba all used ranked ballots early in their history but stopped by 1955. Political parties — including in Canada — sometimes use ranked ballots to choose their leaders.
Q How complicated is this?
A There are varieties of ranked balloting that depend on how many names a voter is asked to rank. Some systems allow you to mark just one name, with an option to rank the others; some want you to rank your top three choices. Other variations want you to rank all names.
Q What are the benefits of ranked ballots?
A The system may help avoid vote-splitting, particularly when multiple candidates earn the support of likeminded voters. Rather than feel pressured to choose one or the other, voters just rank their preferences, strengthening the system against so-called “strategic voting.” It also ensures that whoever wins the seat will have more than 50-per-cent support as votes are distributed based on preferences until someone has a simple majority. This also avoids the time and expense of run-off elections. Ranked-ballot proponents also say there is less toxic partisanship, because candidates want to secure second-place supporters and so won’t demonize opponents.
Q What are the drawbacks?
A There are two main arguments: The system elects more second-choice candidates; and it favours centrist parties. Recent examples of the former can be seen in political party leadership contests that produced leaders such as Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford in Alberta. The latter complaint has been fuelled by limited polling data from the 2015 federal election, which posits that the Liberals would have won even more seats under a ranked ballot system.