Yukon electoral reform: an opportunity not to miss
Vote YES Yukon contributed an op-ed to this week’s issue of l’Aurore Boréale, the Yukon’s Francophone newspaper. You can read the full article in French here.
Translated from the article:
In my opinion, voting “yes” in the plebiscite is an opportunity not to be missed. Ranked voting changes the incentives of candidates and political parties in a positive way. In the first-past-the-post system, politicians are motivated to reinforce the most emotional and extreme opinions of their political bases. In a ranked voting system, their incentives are reversed. Instead, needing to appeal to the majority of voters, even as a second or third choice, encourages collaboration and inclusivity, which is clearly absent from our current politics.
It’s up to us, as engaged voters, to seize this opportunity to improve our political environment. I hope the “yes” option is enthusiastically supported by voters across the Yukon – and I hope the next government respects this choice and implements it for our next territorial election. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to achieve electoral reform in the Yukon. Certainly, not one to miss.