NATIONAL PULSE – Support for electoral reform skyrocketing

November 22, 2019 – The wake of the 43^rd Canadian federal election campaign appears to have churned up support for a certain policy change long thought lost to the depths of a watery political grave: electoral reform.

A new study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds support surging – post election – for the promise the Trudeau Liberal government killed in 2017.

Likely motivated by their preferred party receiving the most votes yet falling short in the House of Commons in a first-past-the-post electoral system, Conservative preference for proportional representation has more than doubled.

Seven-in-ten (69%) who supported the CPC in October say they would change the electoral system, compared to just 28 per cent of party supporters who said this when the Institute canvassed the same issue at the beginning of 2016.

It’s not just a spike in support on the right of the political spectrum, however. Increasing approval across all parties has transformed this – at least for now – from a divisive to a consensus issue. In 2016, just over half (53%) wanted to keep first-past-the-post while the rest wanted to move to proportional representation. Today, more than two-thirds (68%) now say that they would prefer Canada change its voting system.
Link to the poll here: www.angusreid.org