Quebec electoral map: less heft for Montreal
Electoral maps are redrawn regularly to bring them in line with population changes. The Quebec riding map is due for adjustments, and Montreal may lose some clout even though its population has grown, because so many residents are not citizens and therefore have no vote.
The proposal would reduce the island of Montreal’s ridings from 27 to 26.
jeather 14:25 on 2023-09-19 Permalink
I absolutely thought that electoral maps were drawn based on population, not citzenship or population with the right to vote.
Ephraim 18:33 on 2023-09-19 Permalink
UGH! They CAQ is allowing 5 more electoral districts that are below population to continue to exist… So it’s not just Iles de la Madeleine that has more clout. Not happy. This is a light version of gerrymandering. If they don’t have the population, change the map. No one other than IdlM should be having more of a vote. That’s guaranteed by law. No one else!
Chris 19:08 on 2023-09-19 Permalink
jeather, you thought that, ok, that’s interesting; but are you arguing that’s how it should be? Seems quite correct to me to count based on eligible voters.
jeather 20:55 on 2023-09-19 Permalink
Yes, I think it should be based on population. You’re the MP/MNA for everyone — children under 18, immigrants, students whose permanent residence is in a different province. I can understand the argument for citizens (not for adult citizens only, though), but I think that ridings should be based on total population.
CE 22:06 on 2023-09-19 Permalink
If a riding has a lot of children who are under 18, is that taken into consideration in the same way as non-citizens? To be honest, I had never thought of this, I too assumed it was based entirely on population.
Ian 22:53 on 2023-09-19 Permalink
It’s always been based on registered voters as birth/death is the end curves that fluctuate most.
H. John 08:40 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
I’m embarrassed to admit I thought jeather’s suggestion was odd.
Then I read the Radio-Canada version of the article (which seems to be longer and more detailed), and I was struck by the fact that at the federal level our ridings are indeed based on total population.
D’ailleurs, le critère des «électeurs inscrits» dicté par la loi québécoise ne fait pas l’unanimité à l’international, souligne Louis Massicotte. Si certaines législations l’utilisent aussi, «beaucoup de pays dans le monde» – y compris le Canada, au niveau fédéral – se basent plutôt sur la «population totale» pour définir la manière dont les électeurs doivent être représentés.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2004139/commission-representation-electorale-proposition-delimitation
jeather 09:35 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
That explains why I thought it was done that way, at least. It does feel more sensible than voting population, though I definitely see how the latter is much easier to measure accurately. This also explains why Montreal feels like it has less voting power than its population, because it has more non-voters.
Mozai 10:08 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
What would the maps look like if it was # of people who showed up to vote, instead of # of eligible voters?
JaneyB 08:17 on 2023-09-21 Permalink
‘Voting population’ or adult citizens? As @Mozai points out, only about half of adult citizens actually vote. Still the reasoning behind rep-by-pop redistricting based on number of eligible citizens seems rational to me. The country/province is supposed to be organized to express the voice of the people who have a permanent stake in its welfare, not the preferences of transient labour or visitors, whether tourists or visa students. People who spend their lives as non-members in a foreign space are relying on the goodwill of their hosts. If they want to be part of the system, there are numerous paths to that end. That said, Quebec’s non-automatic voter registration system is strangely opt-in compared to other provinces (Manitoba) where it’s connected to the birth registry.