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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsElections11yrs ago

Should Canada switch to a proportional representation voting system?

Currently, Canada's electoral system is based on a "first past the post" system. The candidate with the most votes in a riding wins a seat in the House of Commons and represents that riding as its Member of Parliament. The Governor General asks the Members of Parliament to form a government, which is normally the party whose candidates have won the most seats; that party's leader generally becomes Prime Minister. An absolute majority of the electorate is not needed, and is rarely achieved. As a result, power has been held by either of two parties for most of Canada's history. The party whose candidates win the second largest number of seats becomes the Official Opposition.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 154k Canada voters.

50%
Yes
50%
No
50%
Yes
42%
No
7%
No, keep the current “first past the post” system
2%
No, switch to an instant runoff system

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 154k Canada voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 154k Canada voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Canada voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @9F5KMPVfrom Alberta  answered…3yrs3Y

Canada should become a republic and use the electoral college like the United States.

 @4Q5YTY8from Ontario  answered…6yrs6Y

Do the United States system.

 @9KGWSV2from New Brunswick  answered…2yrs2Y

Nonparty Semi direct democracy would be best. Elected representatives. Referendums. Leader of the country is elected directly in a multi phase race. Provincial, regional and local representation is elected. If a clear majority isn’t achieved on any subject it triggers referendum.

 @4HRLRNSfrom Ontario  answered…6yrs6Y

It is bigoted to assume an individual will have different opinions based on skin colour or genitalia. It promotes segregation and should not be tolerated. Western countries are a melting pot and we should be proud of it.

 @4PVMH9Kfrom British Columbia  answered…6yrs6Y

A system like Germany or New Zealand would be a system for Canada

 @4QSX27Sfrom Alberta  answered…6yrs6Y

How about we banish the feudal system once and for all?

 @BDQFRX9from Newfoundland  answered…1mo1MO

Have parliament remain the same, but have the senate be elected via proportional representation.

 @BDDPDGHfrom Ontario  answered…2mos2MO

Every citizen's vote should count equally. This is 2026, where is our online voting system? Tally the votes on every question instead of hiring overpaid MPs to decide, they don't represent us after they are elected anyway - let us vote electronically. It can be done easily with secret voter IDs like SIN numbers...

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 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…2yrs2Y

Should the government incentivize the construction of affordable housing?

Yes

▲  2.7k3 replies2 agree

About This Data

Based on 154k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

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Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should Canada switch to a proportional representation voting system?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 24, 2026, from https://canada.isidewith.com/polls/896061578

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