Electoral Politics during a Minority Government: The Case of BC

How fair are elections in Canada? Why do young people vote infrequently and what can we do about it? Is the system of voting in Canada broken, and if so, how can it be fixed? Is internet voting likely in the future? What happens when a minority government is formed? Are there consequences for the electoral agency? These are very real concerns and this one-day workshop gives you an opportunity to discuss them with British Columbia’s current Chief Electoral Officer, Keith Archer.

This workshop will cover topics such as: how are elections run in Canada (and how they can be improved)?; what is youth electoral disengagement (and what can be done about it)?; how are electoral boundaries drawn (and what is the meaning of effective representation)?; what is transparency in electoral financing (and why this is so important in democracies)?; what kinds of preparations are necessary in the context of a minority government (and what are the most efficient and effective strategies to ensure preparedness)?. Participants will also explore whether our current method of running elections, and of voting, are outdated, and whether major changes are (or should be) forthcoming.

Go beyond the basics and dig deeper into economic, political, and procedural underpinnings of elections. Also, what kinds of challenges exist for electoral agencies and what might be done to improve the way elections are run, both at the federal and provincial levels in Canada?