Premier calls plebiscite results 'debatable,' cites low turnout

P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan said the results of a provincial plebiscite on electoral reform cast doubts on whether the winning option received a "clear majority" of the vote.

The final vote was 52.4 per cent in favour of mixed member proportional representation (MMP) and 42.8 per cent in favour of first past the post.

• Islanders vote for mixed member proportional representation in plebiscite

Low voter turnout

Voter turnout was at 36.4 per cent.

"Notwithstanding unprecedented measures taken to encourage voter turnout and to facilitate voting, just under 36.5 per cent of registered voters cast a ballot during the ten-day plebiscite voting period," said MacLauchlan in a statement.

• 'A clear mandate': Electoral reform advocates hopeful for change

"On the other hand, 63.5 per cent of registered voters did not participate."

MacLauchlan pointed out Islanders typically have high voter turnout rates in provincial elections — often over 80 per cent.

Support came in 4th round

The vote was conducted on a ranked ballot, in which Islanders were asked to rank their choices in order of preference.

MMP was declared the winner in the fourth round of vote counting, something else MacLauchlan cited in his statement.

• Voting options: The 5 choices in the electoral reform plebiscite

"During the first three rounds of counting, first past the post (the current system) received the highest number of votes. By the fourth and final round of counting, the support for MMP represented 19 per cent of eligible voters, or fewer than one in five," he said.

"It is doubtful whether these results can be said to constitute a clear expression of the will of Prince Edward Islanders."

Results to be discussed in legislature

The premier is committing to "fully deliberate" the results in the House, which starts its fall sitting Tuesday.

"The plebiscite was an exercise on representative democracy and bringing this discussion to the floor of the Assembly underscores this endeavour," he said.

Full plebscite results

Because the ballots were ranked, the winning choice had to receive 50 per cent plus one of the total vote.

This required four rounds of counting. In each round, the option with the least number of votes was excluded, and the votes from those ballots were redistributed to the next choice.

MMP received 52.42 per cent of the final vote. First past the post received 42.84 per cent. 4.74 per cent of ballots were exhausted, meaning the voter didn't make a fourth choice.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Islanders on the U.S. election: Your comments
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | P.E.I. mom 'shocked' at vehicles passing daughter's stopped school bus