Elections BC > News > 2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform: Voting Results Available

2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform: Voting Results Available

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2018

VICTORIA – Voting results for the 2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform have been reported to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and are now available on the Elections BC website:

1,403,358 completed voting packages were returned to Elections BC by the deadline of 4:30 p.m. on December 7, representing returns from 42.6% of registered voters.

Voters were asked two questions on the referendum ballot.

The first question asked which voting system British Columbia should use for provincial elections: the current First Past the Post voting system or a proportional representation voting system. Of the validly cast votes in Question 1, 61.30% supported the current First Past the Post voting system, and 38.70% supported a proportional representation voting system.

Results for Question 1:

Votes %
The current First Past the Post voting system 845,235 61.30%
A proportional representation voting system 533,518 38.70%
Total valid votes 1,378,753 100.00%
Invalid votes 10,209
Rejected ballots 2,461
Total ballots considered 1,391,423

 

The second question asked voters to rank three proportional systems: Dual Member Proportional (DMP), Mixed Member Proportional (MMP), and Rural-Urban Proportional (RUP). MMP was the proportional system with the most support after the first round of counting in Question 2. It received 41.24% of the valid first preferences, followed by DMP with 29.45% and RUP with 29.31%.

Per the Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Regulation, a second round of counting was required for Question 2 because no system won a majority of first preferences. RUP had the fewest first preferences, so it was eliminated and its votes were transferred to their second preferences. After the second round of counting, MMP had the most support with 63.05% of the valid votes, followed by DMP with 36.95%.

Results for Question 2:

Round 1 Round 2
Votes % Transfers Votes %
Dual Member Proportional (DMP) 244,973 29.45% +43,095 288,068 36.95%
Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) 343,038 41.24% +148,592 491,630 63.05%
Rural-Urban Proportional (RUP) 243,749 29.31% -243,749 0 0.00%
Total continuing ballots 831,760 100.00% -52,062 779,698 100.00%
Exhausted ballots 52,062
Total valid votes 831,760 831,760
Invalid votes 557,202 557,202
Rejected ballots 2,461 2,461
Total ballots considered 1,391,423 1,391,423

Results by electoral district are available on the Elections BC website at the link below.

For more information, visit elections.bc.ca/referendum.

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Contact:

Andrew Watson
Director, Communications
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Andrew.Watson@elections.bc.ca
Website: elections.bc.ca

Rebecca Penz
Director, Communications
Elections BC
Phone: 250-886-0806
Email: Rebecca.Penz@elections.bc.ca
Website: elections.bc.ca

Elections BC is an independent, non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for administering electoral processes in B.C. in accordance with the Election Act, Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, Recall and Initiative Act and Referendum Act.