REASONS FOR VOTING YES TO A CHANGE TO AV (THE ALTERNATIVE VOTE)

What is the Alternative Voting System?

Under this system, instead of just putting a cross against your favourite candidate as you would under the current First past the Post system, you number all candidates in order of your preference, i.e. your first preference is 1, then your second favourite is 2 and so on. All the first preference votes for all candidates are counted and if one gets more than 50% of the vote they are elected. If none get 50% or more of the votes then the candidate with the least number of votes drops out and there second preferece votes are redistributed to the other candidates. This continues until one of the remaining candidates gets 50% or more of votes and is elected.

Ths is really just the simple eliminating ballo tsystem in which the candidate with the least number of votes drops out and the remaining candidates reballoted until one gets at least half the votes.

What's Wrong with the Present First Past the Post(FPTP) System?

It allows MPs to be elected with less than 50% of the vote, i.e  the majority of those who voted did  not vote for the winner. In the last election nearly two thirds of all MPs failed to gain the support of 50% of their electorate. The 2010 generael election was decided  in just 111 constituencies by fewer than 46,000 voters or 1.1%of the electorate.This this fair?

What are the Advantages of the AV System?

It produces a more consenual result in that the MP can only be elected if they gain the support of  at least 50% of the electorate. This means the winning candidate will have to appeal to a wider cross section of the electorate.

It makes it more unlikely that an extremist candidate(e.g. BNP) will be elected.

It means that you can vote for who you really want to win and still have a vote that counts- i.e. no more tactical voting.

Who Uses the AV System?

This method of voting is very wdespread.It is used by the Labour and Liberal parties to elect their leaders and in all their internal  elections. It is used by many trade unions and professional associations in their internal elections .A V or the eliminating ballot is seen as a fairer alternative to first past the post.

PARLIAMENT needs a shake up and MPs need to be more representative of their electorate a change to AV would achieve this.

VOTE YES ON MAY 5TH