Lesson · Grade 5 · Social Studies
How an Election Works: Ridings, Parties and Votes
- Grade 5
- Social Studies
- 1 min 7 s
- British Columbia
- BC5-SS-15
A country is split into ridings, and one riding is shown up close: candidates from different parties, voters marking ballots in secret, and the candidate with the most votes winning and representing everyone in the riding. Every riding then picks its own winner, each winner takes one seat in Parliament, and the party with the most seats usually forms the government.
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In one sentence
The question this lesson answers
How does an election work?
This country is split into areas called ridings.
Transcript
What the lesson says
How does an election work?
This country is split into areas called ridings.
Each riding elects one person to represent it.
People who want the job are called candidates.
Most candidates belong to a party, a group of people with shared ideas.
Voters mark a ballot in secret and put it in a ballot box.
When voting ends, the votes are counted.
The candidate with the most votes wins the riding.
The winner represents everyone in the riding, even people who voted for someone else.
Every riding picks its own winner the same way.
Each winner gets one seat in Parliament.
The party with the most seats usually forms the government.
The most votes wins a riding, and the party with the most seats usually forms the government.
Curriculum
Where this fits
- British Columbia, Grade 5
Social Studies, Government and land: participation and representation in Canada's system of governmentBC5-SS-15
Previous: Direct and Representative DemocracyNext: Canada's Natural Resources: What Is Found Where
The outcomes and strands follow the British Columbia curriculum.
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