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Tom Monto

Ranked votes in U.S. and in Canada

U.S. is hard to figure. And STV's adoption and survival is unusual, very much determined by local culture.


A hundred years ago the first city in North America to adopt STV was Ashtabula, Ohio (later among the first to drop it ),


the first in Canada was Calgary - go figure (but Calgary was labour centre back then.) kept it until 1960, then mostly switched to Alternative Voting then STV again in 1971.


several BC cities quickly adopted STV and most quickly dropped it, never to try it again.


Vancouver and Victoria adopted STV in 1920 and soon dropped it


Winnipeg adopted it in 1920 and kept it to 1971


Edmonton adopted it just for five elections 1923-1929


and more cities adopted it (but all except Calgary and Winnipeg dropping it by 1930)


Anyways despite U.S.'s early start, there STV was never used above municipal level - never at the state or federal level

while in Canada in Alberta and Manitoba it moved on to be used to elect some MLAs, from 1920s until 1955.


So pretty scattered and hard to predict. you could say U.S. is conservative -- except where it is radical.


I see that referendums also held in conjunction with pres. election on liberalization of drugs - and Oregon has decriminalized cocaine.

I don't expect Canada ever to do that and probably for the best.


the old comparison

U.S. = life, liberty and pursuit of happiness

Canada = public order and good government

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Early Labour culture

Clarissa Mackie "Elizabeth's Pride A Labor Day story"    Bellevue Times Dec. 5, 1913

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