PM Jacobs launches electoral reform campaign

PHILIPSBURG — Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs “spearheads” an electoral reform campaign, a press release from the Ministry of General Affairs states. The release announces the initiative for a survey to give citizens the opportunity to voice their opinion about the reform, and for town hall meetings with a similar objective.

PM Jacobs urges citizens to take part in the survey: “This is an opportunity to be heard on a platform that matters.”

The survey runs on a website called SurveyMonkey.com and it contains eleven questions. Only one of them could provide some insight in the direction voters want to go: “Should voters cast a ballot for parliamentarians and a second one for the prime minister?”

The survey-page opens with a definition of electoral reform: “It refers to making changes that will set the stage for a more stable political environment for governments to come.”

This makes asking participants if they know what electoral reform is and whether they’d like to know more about the subject rather pointless.

Other questions are not likely to provide helpful answers either. Such as: Does the current electoral system properly reflect people’s choices? And: “Do you believe your vote matters for the outcome of an election?

There is one open question that gives participants the opportunity to offer helpful suggestions: “What changes would you like to see?”

It is not clear how long the survey will remain open for participation. The website does not offer a closing date and the press release does not give any indication about this either.

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Related articles & links:
Electoral Reform SXM survey on SurveyMonkey.com
Prime Minister Jacobs spearheads electoral reform survey
Opinion piece: A missed opportunity
Evaluating politicians: “Everyone is selfish”