Decoding: Provincial Elections

par Apathy is Boring — 26 avril 2010


Provincial elections are not to be neglected--they are one step up from the municipal, not quite on the same level as federal, but just as important as both. Here's a look into the basics of what you need to know about them.

Why Care?

Voting in provincial elections is no small matter. Provincial governments have a great deal of power over some very important social services we all need and care about--namely health care, transportation, welfare, and education. Sometimes these overlap with issues the federal government also takes care of, e.g. immigration. Funding comes both from tax dollars and money transferred from the federal government; either way, beginning with us at the source, so it's a good idea to help decide how that money is spent.

Where Your Vote Goes

There is a single legislative house in provincial governments, called the Legislative Assembly (House of Assembly in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador; National Assembly in Quebec). The election process is a little similar to that of federal elections (see Decoding Federal Elections) and the House of Commons; votes go to elect representatives to seats, with the leader of the party with the most representation elected to the position for head of government, or Premier. The Northwest Territories and Nunavut are exceptions to this; they don't have a Premiership.



How to Vote

Most provinces have political parties that are essentially equivalent to ones at the federal scale--Liberal, Conservative, etc--though they might not officially be connected. To find out when and where to vote, head to Election Almanac, a great website to keep track of information like election dates, participating parties, and voting results. In different provinces, there are different rules as to who can vote--in Quebec, for instance, you need to be a resident starting from at least six months before the election date. You can look up each province's requirements through their elections website.

In short, it's pretty easy to see why it's a good idea to vote in provincial elections--a lot of what provincial governments control affects your daily life. Keep an eye out for the next election date, get informed on political parties, and exercise your right.

Source:"Provincial Government." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion.

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Glossaire

A - L

Accord du libre-échange entre le Canada et les États-Unis (ALE), Accord du libre-échange nord-américain (ALÉNA), Banc des membres sans portefeuille , Bicaméralisme, Bureau du Conseil privé, Cabinet, Cabinet du premier ministre, Circonscription, Comité législatif, Commendement de la Défence Aéropostale de l’Amérique du Nord, Comté, Congrès du parti, Constitution, Cour suprême du Canada, Démocratie, Exécutif, Fédération, Fonds Monétaire International (FMI), Gouvernement, Gouvernement de coalition, Gouvernement majoritaire, Gouvernement minoritaire, Gouverneur général, Hansard, Idéologie, Inuit, Judiciaire, Juge en chef, La Banque Mondiale , La Clause dérogatoire, Le Conseil privé de la reine pour le Canada (CPR), Le Département de la Défense nationale (DDN), Le Fouet, Le Système de Westminster , Leader de l'Opposition, Législature, Lieutenant général, Lobbying, L’Acte de l’Amérique du Nord britannique,

M - Z

Élection, Métis, Ministère, Motion, Obstruction systématique, Opposition loyale de Sa Majesté (Opposition Officielle), Ordre de préséance, Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU) , Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique Nord (OTAN), Organisation Mondiale du Commerce (OMC), Parti de frange, Parti Politique, Peuples autochtones, Premier ministre, Premières nations, Président, Projet de loi, Prorogue, Réforme du sénat, Représentation proportionnelle, Sanction royale, Scrutin à un tour, Sénat, Service canadien du renseingnement de sécurité (SCRS), Système électoral, Voter,

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