About us
We aim to “Make Votes Equal” in their effect on election results in Canada and its provinces.
Who We Are
In late Jan 2023, a group of people interested in the below mission participated in a poll to name this independent group, Make Votes Equal.*
Mission Statement of Make Votes Equal:
We aim to “Make Votes Equal” in their effect on election results in Canada and its provinces.
About the “aim”: Even though it’s technically impossible for any electoral system to makes all votes precisely mathematically equal, the phrase “Make Votes Equal” still expresses a desire, a direction, an ideal to aim towards, a moral value, a governing guide and governing principle which ought to be used when developing an electoral system. (See footnote 1)
A similar governing guide, “equal treatment,” is expressed in Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Equal treatment” is also mentioned by both the Charter Challenge for Fair Voting and Fair Vote Canada: The Charter Challenge for Fair Voting is based, in part, on Section 15, the right to “equal treatment.” (See link) Also, the first sentence of the Fair Vote Canada Statement of Purpose, also speaks of “the right of each citizen to equal treatment under election laws and equal representation in legislatures.” (footnote 2)
As an independent group, Make Votes Equal endorses both those organizations. Footnotes:
Footnote 1: Here's a more nuanced expression of "voter equality": In the [1991] Saskatchewan Electoral Boundaries Reference [on the sizes of riding populations], the Supreme Court of Canada concluded that "Relative parity of voting power is a prime condition of effective representation." (See this link. Also see Section 3 of the Charter of Rights at this link.)
Footnote 2: At the Fair Vote Canada site, hover over “About Us” and choose “Statement of Purpose” (PDF) *This is also the website for MakeSeatsMatchVotes.ca.
We aim to “Make Votes Equal” in their effect on election results in Canada and its provinces.
About the “aim”: Even though it’s technically impossible for any electoral system to makes all votes precisely mathematically equal, the phrase “Make Votes Equal” still expresses a desire, a direction, an ideal to aim towards, a moral value, a governing guide and governing principle which ought to be used when developing an electoral system. (See footnote 1)
A similar governing guide, “equal treatment,” is expressed in Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Equal treatment” is also mentioned by both the Charter Challenge for Fair Voting and Fair Vote Canada: The Charter Challenge for Fair Voting is based, in part, on Section 15, the right to “equal treatment.” (See link) Also, the first sentence of the Fair Vote Canada Statement of Purpose, also speaks of “the right of each citizen to equal treatment under election laws and equal representation in legislatures.” (footnote 2)
As an independent group, Make Votes Equal endorses both those organizations. Footnotes:
Footnote 1: Here's a more nuanced expression of "voter equality": In the [1991] Saskatchewan Electoral Boundaries Reference [on the sizes of riding populations], the Supreme Court of Canada concluded that "Relative parity of voting power is a prime condition of effective representation." (See this link. Also see Section 3 of the Charter of Rights at this link.)
Footnote 2: At the Fair Vote Canada site, hover over “About Us” and choose “Statement of Purpose” (PDF) *This is also the website for MakeSeatsMatchVotes.ca.