BC Math: 46=58, 8=0, 42=42

What's up with the funny mathematics? It's the mathematics that British Columbia's first-past-the-post system used to deliver a third majority government to Gordon Campbell's Liberals, who took 46% of the popular vote, but over 57% of the seats in the legislature. The 8% of BC voters who opted for the Green party will have no MLAs to represent them. The NDP, oddly enough, actually won the number of seats proportional to their share of the vote.

But apparently BC voters are ok with this. Less than 39% of voters were willing to vote in favour of the single transferable vote system. This is really quite depressing, after 57% of BC voters had opted for electoral reform in the last provincial election. I understand why established parties like FPTP - it allows them to create single-party majority governments without having to win a majority of the popular vote. And for enough people, the risk is worth the inequity it creates.

It's still depressing though.

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