What Is STV and Why Does It Matter?
Single Transferable Vote (STV) is a proportional voting system that lets you rank candidates in multi-member ridings, and gives you a real say in who represents you.
It’s already used in places like Ireland, Malta, and parts of Australia.
Single Transferable Vote (STV) is a proportional voting system that lets you rank candidates in multi-member ridings, and gives you a real say in who represents you.
It’s already used in places like Ireland, Malta, and parts of Australia.
Comments
Instead of just picking one candidate, you rank them in order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
Each riding elects multiple MPs, not just one.
- If your first-choice candidate has enough votes to win, they’re elected.
- If they have more votes than they need, the extra votes are transferred to voters’ next preferences.
- If your candidate is eliminated, your vote moves to your next-ranked choice.
✅ Pros of STV
Highly proportional results
Voter choice is maximized
Fewer wasted votes - more of your preferences matter
Encourages collaboration, not polarization
More complex counting process
Larger ridings with multiple MPs (which is unfamiliar in Canada)
Harder to understand at first glance
Takes longer to count and report results
Ranked Ballot/IRV elects just one person, so it’s still a winner-takes-all system.
STV elects multiple people, so it delivers proportional representation.
#STV #ProRepNow #ElectoralReform #MakeEveryVoteCount #CanadaVotes2025