How do you feel about the AV system of voting?
Poll: How do you feel about the AV system of voting?
Total Members Polled: 71
Discussion
Personally I'm really not sure I want to put candidates in a series of preference. I want to vote for a single party and I have no interest in any other party governing. I would rank them equally awful (although admittedly the BNP would rank last).
I don't want to undersell the intelligence of the general populous but I foresee this change generating a whole mountain of spoilt ballot papers.
I don't want to undersell the intelligence of the general populous but I foresee this change generating a whole mountain of spoilt ballot papers.
It's fine in a constituency with 5 or fewer candidates - but in the constituencies where the Aunt Gertrude Progressive Knitters Party is standing along with 10 other crackpots...
I know you only need to rank the parties you wish to (thus no need to select AGPKP), but your average voter is thick - we already know that.
I know you only need to rank the parties you wish to (thus no need to select AGPKP), but your average voter is thick - we already know that.
ewenm said:
I don't know enough about it. As there are so many different "proportional representation" ideas including AV, STV... I'll wait until any referenda on them before I devote any time to properly researching them.
Optimist. What happens if the Glorious Leader decides to give the Lib Dems PR without asking you?randlemarcus said:
ewenm said:
I don't know enough about it. As there are so many different "proportional representation" ideas including AV, STV... I'll wait until any referenda on them before I devote any time to properly researching them.
Optimist. What happens if the Glorious Leader decides to give the Lib Dems PR without asking you?Edited by ewenm on Tuesday 11th May 12:08
a web definition for the benefit of the comedians :
The Alternative Vote (AV) is very much like First-Past-the-Post (FPTP).
Like FPTP, it is used to elect representatives for single-member constituencies, except that rather than simply marking one solitary 'X' on the ballot paper, the voter has the chance to rank the candidates on offer.
The voter thus puts a '1' by their first-preference candidate, and can continue, if they wish, to put a '2' by their second-preference, and so on, until they don't care anymore or they run out of names. In some AV elections, such as most Australian elections, electors are required to rank all candidates.
If a candidate receives a majority of first-preference votes (more people put them as number one than all the rest combined), then they are elected.
If no candidate gains a majority on first preferences, then the second-preference votes of the candidate who finished last on the first count are redistributed.
This process is repeated until someone gets over 50 per cent.
AV is thus not a proportional system, and can in fact be more disproportional than FPTP.
The Alternative Vote (AV) is very much like First-Past-the-Post (FPTP).
Like FPTP, it is used to elect representatives for single-member constituencies, except that rather than simply marking one solitary 'X' on the ballot paper, the voter has the chance to rank the candidates on offer.
The voter thus puts a '1' by their first-preference candidate, and can continue, if they wish, to put a '2' by their second-preference, and so on, until they don't care anymore or they run out of names. In some AV elections, such as most Australian elections, electors are required to rank all candidates.
If a candidate receives a majority of first-preference votes (more people put them as number one than all the rest combined), then they are elected.
If no candidate gains a majority on first preferences, then the second-preference votes of the candidate who finished last on the first count are redistributed.
This process is repeated until someone gets over 50 per cent.
AV is thus not a proportional system, and can in fact be more disproportional than FPTP.
I think it's a good idea.
It makes perfect sense to me and I don't think that the concept is diffucult to understand.
As for the stuff about lowest common denominators, well it works in other countries. Are you suggesting that the British are not as intelligent as people from other countries?
It makes perfect sense to me and I don't think that the concept is diffucult to understand.
As for the stuff about lowest common denominators, well it works in other countries. Are you suggesting that the British are not as intelligent as people from other countries?
Here's a link from the Daily Politics show to explain the system for those who haven't yet understood it. Has some estimates on how it would affect things.
Daily Politics Explanation
Another article with guesstimates Scotsman article
Daily Politics Explanation
Another article with guesstimates Scotsman article
Edited by merc_man on Tuesday 11th May 12:29
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