July 25, 2025
RED FM News Desk
With voter turnout in British Columbia consistently declining for decades – having last reached 70 percent 25 years ago – many in the province are seeking action to reverse this trend.
A poll released Thursday by Research Co. highlights significant public interest in electoral reforms. The survey revealed that 61 percent of respondents support mandatory voting, similar to rules enforced in Australia. Additionally, 56 percent wish to see elections moved back to the month of May, and 54 percent advocate for public holidays on voting days. The same poll indicated that a substantial 77 percent want candidates to be required to participate in at least one debate.
Despite calls for change, 65 percent of those surveyed expressed satisfaction with the current first-past-the-post system.
Mario Canseco, from Research Co., noted, “This is actually very interesting because it’s coming at the heels of (one of) the closest elections we’ve had – and also a very close federal election.”
However, nearly half of respondents indicated a preference for proportional representation – a system common in much of Europe. This system would ensure that province-wide vote percentages more accurately reflect the number of seats elected per party.
Stewart Prest, a political scientist at UBC, stated that a shift to proportional representation would alleviate concerns about vote splitting.
Regarding the expansion of voting rights, only 37 percent of those surveyed by Research Co. supported lowering the voting age, mirroring recent changes in the U.K.
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