British Columbia’s Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform Wants to Hear from YOU!

This summer, an All-Party Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform is inviting public input on issues like democratic engagement, voter participation, and how MLAs are elected in British Columbia.

This is your chance to help shape the future of democracy in BC!

How can I participate?

Visit https://consultation-portal.leg.bc.ca/consultations/43 to enter your written submission and learn more.

Maximum word count is 2000 words.

Additional information can be provided in an appendix, but input beyond 2,000 words may not be considered by the Committee. Information provided through links will not be considered to form part of the submission and may only be reviewed for further interest.

Submissions are considered public documents and will be posted on the Committee’s website and can be made available upon request to interested parties.

Find general guidance on submitting or presenting to a Parliamentary Committee here: https://consultation-portal.leg.bc.ca/about

The deadline to submit is July 25 at 2 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Do I need to be an expert to participate?

Not at all. The Committee wants to hear from everyone—whether you’re a policy expert, a student, or a concerned citizen. If you care about how democracy works, your voice matters.

When and where will presentations happen?

Public meetings will be held in July 2025 (specific dates pending), both virtually and in-person in communities across BC, including:

  • Cranbrook
  • Dawson Creek
  • Kelowna
  • Prince George
  • Richmond
  • Surrey
  • Vancouver
  • Victoria

Can people outside BC submit input?

Submissions and presentations are open to people from around the world. Everyone’s perspective is welcome.

Where can I find more information?

Understanding Electoral Reform

What is electoral reform?

Electoral reform refers to changes to the way we vote and how our democracy functions. It could include things like:

  • Making voting day a statutory holiday
  • Introducing digital voting
  • Redrawing the boundaries of ridings
  • Replacing the current voting system with a different one
  • Many other potential initiatives

In short, electoral reform can be big or small, and it’s about improving how, when, and why we elect our representatives.

What is the Committee looking at?

The Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform has been tasked with two main goals:

  1. To explore how we engage with democracy—including how to boost voter participation and whether BC should change the way we elect MLAs (for example, moving away from First-Past-the-Post).
  2. To review how the 2024 provincial election was run—looking at things like accessibility, administration, and voter experience.

The Committee wants public input to help guide potential reforms that could improve democratic participation and modernize how elections work in British Columbia.

What is First-Past-the-Post?

First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) is the current system used in BC and across Canada. Here’s how it works:

  • The province is divided into 93 ridings
  • Voters in each riding choose one candidate
  • The candidate with the most votes wins—even if they don’t get a majority

Whichever political party wins the most ridings usually forms government, and their party leader becomes the Premier (provincially) or Prime Minister (federally). In Canada, it’s been quite common for minority governments to form—meaning, the party with the most seats, but not the majority of seats in the house, forms government. 

What is proportional representation?

Proportional representation (PR) is an alternative to FPTP. Instead of electing one person per riding, PR tries to match the number of seats a party gets with the percentage of votes they received overall.

For example, if a party wins 30% of the vote across BC, they would get roughly 30% of the seats in the Legislature.

There are different models of PR, but the key goal is to make every vote count more equally.

Why should I participate?

Because democracy works best when everyone’s voice is heard. This is your chance to help shape the way we vote and how the government represents you.

Can I watch the hearings, even if I’m not presenting?

Yes! The hearings are public and will be open to all. They will be audiocast live on the Legislative Assembly website and both the audio and a transcript will be available after the meeting. The public is also welcome to attend meetings in person.

Who is on the committee?

The Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform includes members from all three official parties in the BC Legislature:


Jessie Sunner, MLA, Surrey-Newton (Chair);
Ward Stamer, MLA, Kamloops-North Thompson (Deputy Chair);
George Anderson, MLA, Nanaimo-Lantzville;
Rob Botterell, MLA, Saanich North and the Islands;
Sheldon Clare, MLA, Prince George-North Cariboo;
Amna Shah, MLA, Surrey City Centre; and
Qwulti’stunaat / Debra Toporowski, MLA, Cowichan Valley.


For further information:
Karan Riarh; Committee Clerk
DemocraticProcessCommittee@leg.bc.ca

Please share this opportunity with your friends, networks, and communities.