MLA Linda Larson. (Richard McGuire photo)

By Vanessa Broadbent

Osoyoos Times

It’s pretty much impossible to predict what the outcome of the provincial referendum on electoral reform will be.

That’s what MLA Linda Larson told Osoyoos Town Council when she presented at their meeting on Monday.

Councillor C.J. Rhodes asked Larson, a member of the Liberal party, if she had any predictions on whether the province will be adopting Proportional Representation or keeping the First Past the Post system.

“A lot of people underestimate the importance of this to every resident in British Columbia,” Rhodes said.

Since the start of the referendum, Larson said it’s been unclear what the results could be.

“Everything that I’ve read and seen, it’s been one of those things where they’re guessing that it will be very close.”

However, Larson said she’s concerned with the number of ballot packages returned.

As of Dec. 10, Elections BC said a total of 1,361,000 packages are estimated to have been received, which reflects approximately 41 per cent returned.

Larson said the percentage is reasonable, but not enough.

“I don’t think that when you’re thinking of changing a democratic system, less than a very large percentage of voters should actually be making those choices.”

She pointed out that if the results are close, it could mean 20 per cent of the population chose for the rest of the province.

“I have no comfort level with that at all,” she said.

In the Boundary-Similkameen electoral district, 14,563 ballot packages were returned, a 41.1 per cent return.

Larson told Council that in conversations with her constituents, she noticed that the majority is in favour of keeping the First Past the Post system.

“There’s a certain comfort level with it and a basic understanding of what it is versus any of the new systems that were put on the table.”

However, Larson said that her observations could be wrong and there could be a large group of voters in the area looking to change things.

“One way you can look at it, either they want to throw me out or they want to keep me, I’m not sure,” she joked.

Elections BC is currently tabulating ballots and has stated it hopes to release the referendum results by Christmas.