Share of valid votes
16.0%Share of valid votes cast for NDP candidates across Canada.
Elections Canada · valid votesResearch / A starting point for inquiry
Make room for the evidence.
Start with a question. Read a short guide. Follow the link to the source.
Electoral rules have direct effects on representation. Broader political and social outcomes need a more cautious reading of the evidence.
Featured evidence
Two numbers. One useful question.
How closely does representation reflect votes?
New Democratic Party — Canada, 2019 · Historical first-past-the-post results
Share of seats
7.1%24 of 338 House of Commons seats won.
Elections Canada · seatsThe NDP’s share of House seats was smaller than its share of valid votes. This is one historical example; the gap varies by party and election.
These results are not a prediction of what would have happened under PR. Different rules could change voter and party behaviour.
Read the votes-and-seats guide and complete 2019 comparisonReading the evidence
What we know — and how sure we are.
A direct effect of electoral rules and a broader empirical association are different kinds of evidence.
strong
PR makes seat distributions more proportional.
This is its central institutional purpose. Actual proportionality depends on thresholds, district magnitude, compensation and other design choices; exact national equality is not guaranteed.
moderate
Comparative research often associates PR with higher turnout.
The association has credible support, with contextual and causal limitations. It does not tell us exactly how much turnout would change in Canada.
mixed
The claim that PR reduces polarization has mixed support.
A major review finds weak and inconsistent relationships with left–right party polarization. Ideological distance, hostility between voters and parliamentary civility are different outcomes.
Reading library
Explore by topic.
Start with the short explanation, then open the guide. Full guides still in development are marked as planned.
12 research topics · 1 full guide available
Representation
How closely do votes and seats match under first-past-the-post?
A party’s national share of seats can differ substantially from its share of valid votes. Explore the 2019 results and the riding-by-riding rules behind them.
Representation
Would PR still provide local representation?
Common MMP and STV designs retain geographic representation. The size of districts and the role of regional representatives depend on the model.
Full guide planned · Introductory explainer — Would PR still provide local representation?
Voter choice
Is a ranked ballot the same thing as PR?
Rankings alone do not make an election proportional. Compare single-member ranked voting with multi-member STV.
Full guide planned
Voter choice
Does PR eliminate strategic voting?
PR can reduce some reasons for strategic voting, but does not eliminate it. Thresholds, coalition calculations and local contests still matter.
Full guide planned
Voter choice
How do party lists affect candidate choice?
Closed, open and flexible lists offer different degrees of candidate choice. Nomination decisions remain relevant under every model.
Full guide planned
Governance
Does PR always produce coalition governments?
Coalitions are more likely as a broad tendency, but they are not inevitable. A party can still win a majority or govern as a minority.
Full guide planned
Governance
Does PR make governments unstable?
The evidence is mixed, and “stability” can mean several different things. Cabinet duration is not the same as election frequency or democratic survival.
Full guide planned
Participation
What does the research say about turnout?
Comparative research often associates PR with higher turnout. It does not establish a guaranteed increase or a precise Canadian effect.
Full guide planned
Participation
What does the evidence say about women’s representation?
PR, especially list systems, is associated with greater women’s representation. Recruitment, quotas and ballot rules matter; parity is not guaranteed.
Full guide planned
Electoral systems
How does Mixed-Member Proportional work?
MMP combines constituency representatives with linked compensatory seats. The top-up allocation accounts for local seats already won.
Full guide planned · Introductory explainer — How does Mixed-Member Proportional work?
Electoral systems
How does Single Transferable Vote work?
STV uses candidate rankings and transferable vote value to elect several district representatives. Counting rules vary by jurisdiction.
Full guide planned
Electoral systems
What do district magnitude and thresholds change?
District seat numbers and thresholds affect proportionality and entry to seat allocation. Both involve choices and trade-offs.
Full guide planned
How this evidence is used
Use official election results for historical vote and seat claims, and authoritative institutional sources for electoral mechanics.
Follow advocacy claims through to underlying research. An association between countries does not establish what reform would cause in Canada.
Keep uncertainty where findings are mixed. Measurable proportionality is one democratic criterion; broader judgments about fairness also depend on values.