A 160-member randomly selected assembly, plus a chair, that studied electoral systems in 2004 and recommended BC-STV. Two referendums followed; neither reached the legislated thresholds.
The provincial government created the assembly with the unanimous support of the Legislature and promised to put its recommendation to a referendum. Members were drawn by lot, one man and one woman from each of the 79 electoral districts plus two Aboriginal members. After learning, public hearings and deliberation in 2004, they proposed a single transferable vote system, BC-STV. The 2005 and 2009 referendums required 60% support province-wide and a majority in 60% of districts.
The assembly recommended BC-STV in December 2004. In 2005 it received 57.69% of valid votes, below the 60% threshold; in 2009 it received 39.09%. The first-past-the-post system was kept.
The government later said voters in 2005 lacked a map of how BC-STV would apply to districts. Supermajority thresholds set above a simple majority let a clear majority fail to bind government.
The assembly had 160 members drawn by random selection, one man and one woman from each of British Columbia's 79 electoral districts plus two Aboriginal members, with its chair as an additional 161st member. Its report was submitted on 10 December 2004.[1]
In the 17 May 2005 referendum, 57.69% of valid votes favoured BC-STV. Binding required at least 60% province-wide and a simple majority in at least 48 of 79 districts; the second condition was met (77 districts), the first was not.[1]
Why the reform failed is interpreted differently: a 2005 government statement held that voters lacked an understanding of how BC-STV would map onto districts, while the high thresholds also meant 57.69% did not bind government.[1][2]