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Overview
Political Studies 12
3. Canadian Political Structure
3.4 Electoral System
Canada's Electoral System: How Votes Become Government
Explore how Canada's First-Past-the-Post system translates votes into seats, how Elections Canada administers federal elections, and why electoral reform remains a central democratic debate.
What You'll Learn
Canada uses First-Past-the-Post where plurality wins each riding.
Elections Canada independently administers all federal elections impartially.
Redistribution redraws riding boundaries after each national census.
Electoral reform debates centre on proportional representation replacing FPTP.
What You'll Practice
1
Students identify key electoral terms like riding, writ, scrutineer.
2
Learners analyze FPTP majority government formation and confidence votes.
3
Questions test knowledge of Elections Canada, redistribution, and reform.
Why This Matters
Understanding Canada's electoral system empowers students to critically evaluate democratic representation, electoral reform debates, and the institutions that shape how political power is won and exercised.
This Unit Includes
Practice exercises
Learning resources
Skills
FPTP
Electoral Reform
Redistribution
Confidence Vote
Civic Engagement
ON Curriculum Aligned