One might be surprised to learn that the turnout rate of people voting in federal elections in Canada has never reached 80% (Elections Canada). In fact, it has been declining since the mid-20th century, as evidenced by growing voter apathy. An electoral system is designed to provide those living in democratic governments with the opportunity to vote – in an election – for the candidate whose agenda coincides with their political beliefs. This can be achieved through direct democracy, in which citizens are directly involved in the decision-making process, or through indirect democracy, in which citizens elect a delegate to act on their behalf. In a direct democracy, all citizens would be present at government meetings and have the opportunity to express their opinions verbally. As expected, this would be extremely difficult to coordinate with Canada's population of 34.88 billion (Statistics Canada). Canada uses indirect democracy, which allows for two basic forms of electoral systems in which representatives are elected. In the simple majority electoral system, the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes is elected, whether or not they obtain a majority. It is commonly known as the "first past the post" system, which alludes to a horse race; the winner wins the position with the greatest number of votes and only needs to garner more votes than their opponents. The successful candidate wins all the seats in their constituency or constituency while candidates who come second or third will not receive any seats, regardless of how many votes they lose. Proportional representation is the second form of electoral system used in Canada; the percentage of votes received by a party is proportional to the numbness...... middle of paper ......ment plays an important role in determining the relationship between its politicians and voters. It also “[calculates] how votes are converted into seats of political power…this…also affects the party system, political culture, government formation, and executive structure” (Trac 5). More importantly, candidates in an SMP system can be elected with minimal public support because they do not need a majority of votes. To be elected to the Legislative Assembly under the proportional representation system, a candidate must obtain “at least 3% of their party's vote in the entire province” (Ontario Citizens' Assembly 3). Unlike the SMP system, the RP system better represents citizens' opinions, supports a stable and efficient government, and is a simple but practical voting system. It successfully meets the needs of voters, unlike the traditional system..