A provincial electoral division is a geographical area represented by a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Every Manitoban lives within an electoral division and the eligible voters in each division elect an MLA to represent them. There are 57 provincial electoral divisions in Manitoba. Sometimes they are referred to as ‘ridings’ or ‘constituencies.’
Under section 9(1) of The Electoral Divisions Act, all electoral boundaries must be reviewed every 10 years. As the population grows and changes, the review helps ensure that effective representation continues to be in place for all Manitobans.
No. The number of provincial electoral divisions in Manitoba is set at 57 under section 7(1) of The Electoral Divisions Act. Any change to this number would require legislative amendment.
Changes may affect you in several ways:
The name of your electoral division may change.
Your residence may fall within a different electoral division.
Your electoral division may remain the same as in the 2016 general election.
Your voting place for future general elections may change.
Process
Under The Electoral Divisions Act, the boundaries are determined by a Commission made up of the Chief Electoral Officer, the Chief Justice of Manitoba and the presidents of the University of Manitoba, Brandon University and University College of the North.
No, the federal boundaries are drawn under the federal Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. The number of House of Commons seats for Manitoba is determined by a representation formula found in the constitution. There are currently 14 federal ridings in Manitoba.
Population is the principal criterion. The process begins with the total population for Manitoba. This number is divided by 57 (the number of electoral divisions) to determine the quotient for each electoral division.The Commission can decide to vary the quotient by 10% above or below for divisions south of the 53rd parallel and 25% above or below the quotient for divisions wholly or partially north of the 53rd parallel. Other factors include:
community or diversity of interests;
means of communication;
physical features (such as rivers or lakes);
existing boundaries of rural municipalities;
special geographic conditions including sparsity, density and relative rate of population growth;
accessibility and size or shape of a region.
No, the federal boundaries are drawn under the federal Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. The number of House of Commons seats in Manitoba is determined by a representation formula found in the constitution. The provincial process is carried out under provincial law.
New boundaries come into effect for the first provincial general election held after December 31, 2018. Any byelections held before the general election will be based on current (2008) boundaries.
Elections Manitoba provides administrative support for the process, including information technology (IT), geographic information systems (GIS), logistics and communications. Elections Manitoba uses the maps created through the redistribution process to prepare for provincial general elections.
The redistribution of boundaries is a non-partisan process, conducted independently of government or any political party. Once finalized, the report of the Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission is sent to the Lieutenant Governor and to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly who enters it into the public record and it becomes law.