PR debate could polarize voters along partisan lines: political scientist
Posted November 7, 2018 12:06 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The future of B.C.’s electoral systems is set to take place at a debate between Premier John Horgan and Opposition leader Andrew Wilkinson on Thursday.
UBC Political Science Professor Max Cameron says while the debate is a good way to focus public attention on the issue, it could also serve to polarize voters along partisan lines.
“The Liberal party has made it pretty clear: They don’t like this referendum. They don’t like the options on the ballot. So, in some sense, the division in the electorate is likely to reflect that, it’s likely to break along partisan lines. I suspect that the debate will only reinforce that.”
With just less than a month to go until the referendum, only about one per cent of ballots have been returned.
Cameron doesn’t think this is “anomalous”, especially considering how many options people have to weigh.
“People do sometimes wait a little bit until they’ve made up their mind, and I think in this case, given the complexity of the choice in front of voters, and my perception that so many voters want to make the right choice, people are taking this responsibility very seriously.”
He thinks maybe many are waiting to see Horgan and Wilkinson debate proportional representation before making a choice.
Cameron explains while the debate may have some influence on how someone is going to vote, there is also plenty of information out there from neutral sources that offer up explanations for the different systems.
“I think it’s a matter of really just finding the time. I’d say a good half hour, 45 minute, study time. We all have to do our homework.”
On whether or not he believes voters will actually understand what they’re voting for, Cameron admits the subject can be complex but says people can understand it.
“The basics are, really at the end of the day, not that hard to comprehend. What’s really hard to comprehend is what these changes might actually mean for our politics,” he says.
“At the end of the day it’s up to you, me, and ordinary citizens to try to make our best judgement as to what’s going to create the best kind of democracy for B.C.”
