AV

[Josquius]

Got my form through the post today. It actually asks should we switch to AV- yes/no. But meh, this way is better.
How would you vote on such a referendum?

[Neil]

AV is utterly immoral.

[sbr]

What's AV?

[Slargos]

As a democratic society, we are regularly told that 'every vote counts',  yet, we often forget how true this statement is.  Too busy with essay  deadlines, exam revision and the attraction of Leeds' alluring student  nightlife scene, we can all too easily forget that choosing between AV,  FTPT and SV will actually make a direct difference to our future.

Yes. You will get to make entirely different choices about which puppet figurehead you want to pretend to govern you all the while figuratively (and soemtimes literally) raping the working electorate.

[Sheilbh]

I'm the only person in the world, I think, who actually favours AV over FPTP and most PR systems.  I like it.

The no campaign's been pretty despicable too.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I shall probably vote for FPTP, it has the virtue of simplicity; also, general election night would be ruined if we had AV.......the results would trickle in over the next few days.

[Josquius]

I shall probably vote for FPTP, it has the virtue of simplicity; also, general election night would be ruined if we had AV.......the results would trickle in over the next few days.

Nah, don't think it would take that long. Maybe an extra hour or two where votes have to be transferred.
FPTP being simpler than AV...It is but they're both so mindnumbingly simple tasks its pretty irrelevant.

I'm the only person in the world, I think, who actually favours AV over FPTP and most PR systems.  I like it.

No, I think the same. I'm anti-PR but pro AV.

The no campaign's been pretty despicable too.

Agreed.
Shame the yes campaign has been so crap in response though. Their recent advert was lame.

[Sheilbh]

I shall probably vote for FPTP, it has the virtue of simplicity; also, general election night would be ruined if we had AV.......the results would trickle in over the next few days.

I don't think that's true.  I think Australia still has election night and I think they're the only country that has a system like this.

It's not insufferable like Ireland's STV

[Richard Hakluyt]

My mind is not fully made up; I'm hoping that the campaigns will improve and actually advance cogent arguments for one method over the other, plus details of the operational advantages/disadvantages. The result is wide open IMO, the best campaign is likely to win.

[Razgovory]

Someone really needs to explain what this is.

[Grey Fox]

Other then meaning Alternative Vote, what does that alternative entails?

[Viking]

Someone really needs to explain what this is.

In the present system you get to put an X next to one candidates name and the candidate with most votes wins.

In the AV system you put numbers, starting at 1 (indicating first preference) to whatever number you want or until you run out of candidates. All the votes are counted and the votes for the candidate with the fewest votes are then re-examined and the second preferences are counted. The candidate with fewest votes is eliminated until one candidate gets half the votes, or there are only two candidates remaining, in which case the most votes wins.


Basically AV allows all the British voters that want to vote AGAINST the tories but can't figure out which candidate is the ideal one for tactical voting to vote.

[Josquius]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_vote

Optionally listing your voting preferences. If your top preference gets the least votes your vote is switched to your second choice (and so on for second and third and, in theory anyway, third and fourth, etc...)

e.g. I put
1: Lib dem
2: Labour
3: Conservatives

Votes come in and its
Labour: 43%
Conservatives: 40%
Lib dem: 17%

My vote then gets switched to being one for labour, the other lib dem voters also get their votes switched to their second choice.



edit- ack, ninjad by viking.
But yeah. Lets you vote with your heart rather than your head. No voting for someone you don't really approve of just because the only people that stand a chance are him and a woman who you really hate. You're free to actually vote for the third party which doesn't stand much of a chance but you actually like, safe in the knowledge through your vote being switched to the dodgy guy the nasty woman won't sneak in the backdoor.

[MadImmortalMan]

Other: Outlaw all political parties and vote for individuals. 

[sbr]

Other: Outlaw all political parties and vote for individuals. 

I would mark that with a 1.