With the referendum on the Alternative Vote (AV) taking place this Thursday (will you be voting?), one VB reader has been in touch with their take on the situation. Over to Big Ears. Ed
We are days from a vote on our voting system that, let’s be honest, many of us don’t understand. But before I go mumbling on about how the Alternative Vote works and causing many of you to glaze over and dribble into your keyboard, let’s have a quick look at what is wrong with the existing system.
In the current voting system we are often required to vote, somewhat cynically, for a candidate/party we don’t really like in order to be sure not to get a candidate/party we really don’t like. This ensures the continuance of a two plus one party system.
Five year despotic regimes
We mostly don’t like either of the big two very much and have little expectation that they will keep their promises to us once elected. All we can hope for is that the lot who get in are not as bad as the other lot who might have got in.
It’s been going on like this for some time now. Once leaders are elected to power, they no longer make any pretence at democracy and know that they can virtually run a despotic regime for the next five years. They can for example drag us into any crazy war they fancy without a by-your-leave.
Encouraging inclusive choice of candidates
So is AV, or to give it it’s proper name Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), any better? Well here’s the good news; once a candidate gets into power, he or she will still be free to be the crazy gun-totting egomaniac we have come to know and love, so nothing to worry about there then.
But here’s the interesting bit, it’s much more practical for a minor party or even an independent candidate to either get voted in if they are convincingly stronger than the traditional bunch or at least to rattle the cage of the victor and keep them just a little more honest. It will certainly encourage a more inclusive choice of candidates.
The arguments against AV
It is noticeable that those high profile political figures in favour of the current first-past-the-post system avoid using rational arguments to press their case, but instead opt for George Bushian style arguments such as ‘AV is for wussies who can’t make their minds up’.
I have even read that it will ‘encourage backroom deals’. In fact the contrary is the case since elected candidates will have at least 50% of the total vote.
Anyway, while I leave you to ponder this all, what follows is a brief explanation of how AV works. Get dribbling!
So, how does AV work?
The AV system allows you to pick your favourite candidate but also to pick your second, third etc favourite candidates. Now let’s say that you favour Agnette – Free Beer Party, although Shirley – Bangers and Mash party has made a good impression. There is also Gazza – Labour Party, Alicia-May – Conservative Party and the ever hopeful Nigel – Lib Dems.
Right. You fill in your ballot paper and it looks like this:
- Agnette
- Alicia-May (it was going to be Shirley until you found out they were veggy sausages)
- Nigel
- Gazza
To clarify, you have made your one and only vote for Agnette. The also-rans are merely a fall- back position in case she is eliminated.
It turns out that when the votes are first counted, none of the candidates have a clear majority of 50% – in other words, no single candidate’s votes total more than the rest put together. This is where the Instant Runoff bit I mentioned comes in.
The candidate with the least votes gets the elbow. On this occasion it turns out to be Agnette who is eliminated (from the election). Now, for each voter like you that had placed your vote on her (i.e, as your favourite) your vote is moved to your next favourite, Alicia-May. Now the count is retaken again. This keeps happening until one candidate is the runaway winner.
It’s Nigel. Hoorah!
