A Have an idea for a story? Mi news@theotherpress.ca Electoral Reform referendum » The vote is being held by mail between October 22 and November 30 Chandler Walter Contributor B Crsdents will have a decision to make this fall that will lay the groundwork for larger decisions down the road. A province-wide referendum is being held between October 22 and November 30 to determine if the Government of British Columbia should keep the voting system the same or change it to one of three alternatives. Electoral reform has long been a talking point during both provincial and federal elections in the past, most notably during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2015 campaign. Though there does not appear to be any sign of electoral reform coming into effect on the federal level, the provincial government has pushed the issue to a referendum, allowing British Columbians to have their say about how they cast their ballots. The alleged need for reform comes primarily from weaknesses observed in the province's (and country’s) current first- past-the-post (FPTP) system—wherein the candidate who reaches a certain number of votes first is elected to represent that district. Ina report from the attorney general titled “How We Vote” and published by the Government of British Columbia, the FPTP system is described as not usually producing proportional results, as “a political party’s share of the popular vote does not match its share of seats in the Legislative Assembly.” This is due in part to electoral districts where one party wins by a significant margin of voters, yet if an opposition party wins closer races and, eventually, more districts, it could result in a majority government in power that had not received the majority of the overall votes. This system, according to the report, can often result in single-party majority governments and heavily favours large political parties over smaller parties or independent candidates. The three alternatives that British Columbians will have the opportunity to vote for in the upcoming referendum include Dual Member Proportional, Mixed Member Proportional, and Rural Urban Proportional Representation (also known as Flexible District PR). Dual Member Proportional would amalgamate much of province's single member electoral districts with an adjacent district to allow for two members to come from the one expanded area. Two members from each party would be elected to each district, and voters would cast just one ballot for a pair of candidates. Seats would be won first by the party that receives the most votes in the district, and second based on province-wide voting results. Mixed Member Proportional would elect candidates from single-member electoral districts (as is the current case) but would also elect additional members based on the results at regional or provincial levels. Districts would have to be made larger as there would be fewer members voted in through the district format, but it would make the distribution of seats more proportional to the provincial total by electing roughly 40 percent of members based on the province-wide vote. Rural-Urban PR utilizes the Single Mid-September lockdown drills » How to protect yourself if someone dangerous enters the building Katie Czenczek News Editor I: mid-September already, and this year’s school lockdown drills focus on how to stay safe while a violent intruder is on campus. From September 6 to September 12, both Douglas College campuses partook in a simulated drill where students and staff were expected to follow the procedure for areal lockdown emergency. While many drills have focused on earthquake or fire emergencies in the past, this one was specific to dealing with a human threat. These drills happened throughout the morning and early afternoon, interrupting some classes. Announcements went over the PA system, warning students that the drill was about to start. Following the warning, a lockdown alert went off, the same that would be used in an emergency. Students and faculty not in a classroom when the lockdown alert went off were told to get to the nearest room and wait there until given the all-clear message. Washrooms and large open areas—such as the cafeteria, gym, or concourse—are not considered safe places to hide if an intruder enters the building. The main takeaway from the drills is to avoid trying to exit the building if a violent intruder enters the building. According to Douglas College’s lockdown procedure posted on their website, students are not supposed to “leave [their] place of shelter or open [their] door until [they] have been advised it is safe to do so by police, emergency response personnel, campus security, or campus administrators.” Dr. Robin Wylie, a history professor at Douglas College, said that the lockdowns were important to practice but should have been adapted for specific classrooms. “Tt’s a good thing to do, unfortunately,” he said. “One to think about though is that some classes face the courtyards [at New West campus], so turning the lights off and covering the windows wouldn't be particularly helpful if an intruder were really to come.” Lockdown alerts are issued through the PA system at both campuses, DC alerts, campus security, floor wardens, or a campus administrator. No one is supposed to leave the building during a lockdown, even if the fire alarm goes off, unless notified otherwise by paramedics, firefighters, police, campus security, administrators, or if you personally see an open flame. Maddi Russell-Cowie, a second-year psychology student at Douglas College, participated in the lockdown procedures last week and said they were helpful. ¢ Vancouver named the unhappiest city in Canada e Annual rent increase percentage released for 2019 ¢ Mid-September lockdown drills ..and more! BC voters readying for upcoming Transferable Vote system for urban and semi-urban areas, and then uses the Mixed Member Proportional system in rural areas. The Single Transferable vote means that voters would rank their candidates in order of preference, and if the person they placed as their first choice does not have a chance of winning, their vote will then be transferred once to the next candidate in line instead. This allows for voters to back an independent or smaller party candidate without the worry of “throwing away their vote.” More information on each of these systems can be found online through Elections BC’s website. Potential voters for the referendum can register by going to elections.bc.ca/ ovr, or by calling 1-800-661-8683 during business hours. They will then be mailed a referendum voter package by November 2. If a person has not received a package by November 2, they will be able to request one up until November 23 through the channels listed above. “Make sure you are registered and that your information is up to date, especially if you've never registered, moved recently, or changed your name,” said Anton Boegman, the Chief Electoral Officer for Elections BC, in the release. “If your voter information is current, you will get a referendum voting package in the mail later this fall” All BC residents who have lived in the province for at least six months, are 18 years or older as of November 30, and are a Canadian citizen can vote in this referendum. DOUGLASCOLLEGE Photo by Katie Czenczek “I think they’re important to do so students know what to do in a real emergency,” she said. “Panic is the absolute worst thing for a situation like that and if we know what to do, hopefully it will make everyone feel safer”