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What is alternative vote and how does it work?
Briefing: Labour and Lib Dems take on the Conservatives to reform the electoral system
The campaign to reform Britain's electoral system is gathering pace as a referendum on switching from first-past-the-post to an 'alternative vote' system approaches.
The May 5 referendum sees Labour leader Ed Miliband aligning himself with the Lib Dems and their deeply unpopular leader Nick Clegg in supporting the alternative vote.
Their 'Yes' campaign is currently behind the Conservative-backed 'No' campaign, with a recent poll showing Britons rejecting a change to the electoral system by 58 per cent to 42 per cent among those who have made up their mind.
What is alternative vote?Like first-past-the-post, AV returns a single MP to parliament from each constituency. The primary difference is that under AV, a candidate has to achieve 50 per cent approval from voters. Under FPTP, an MP can be elected with a very low proportion of the vote.
How does alternative vote work?Voters rank each candidate on the ballot paper according to their preference, starting with '1'. To win the constituency, a candidate must score 50 per cent of votes. If no candidate achieves 50 per cent with their '1' (first preference) votes, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated and their supporters' second preference votes are allocated to the other candidates. The process continues through further rounds until one candidate manages to win the support of 50 per cent of the constituency electorate.
How is it different to proportional representation?Under PR, voters have only one vote. Each constituency returns a number of MPs based on the proportion of votes they receive.
Where do the parties stand on alternative vote?Lib Dems: They would prefer a proportional representation system as they would be guaranteed more seats in parliament. However, Lib Dems are supporting AV because they think it is better for them than the current FPTP system. It is also natural to assume that Lib Dems would normally be the second preference of Labour and Conservative voters (when anger over their coalition with the Tories eventually dissipates).
Conservatives: They had to agree to the AV referendum to persuade the Lib Dems to join them in a coalition government. However, they want to stick with FPTP - a system that historically has favoured Labour - because they believe it returns strong, stable governments.
Labour: They are deeply divided on AV. Up to 200 Labour MPs and peers oppose reform, but leader Ed Miliband has urged them to back it, saying AV is fairer than the current system. ·
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BILLHOOK - "The process continues through further rounds until one candidate manages to win the support of 50 per cent of the constituency electorate." In other words if, following 2nd preference redistribution of the lowest polling candidate's, there is still not 50%+1 for someone, then redistribution goes on, yea even unto the 3rd, 4th or 87th preference.
Does it really matter how it works? Whatever Party wins the result remains the same - Duff politicians who do what they want, not what the electorate wish and even more effectively if they can slide out extra expenses [in the rules of course].
Rip off Britain starts at Westminster and perpetuates through all the major companies with a director who's an MP; seen as profiteering whilst the working types get kicked firmly in the balls every time.
Thanks for enlightening those of us who were ignorant of AV on how it works in simple, basic terms.
The explanation of AV above does not say how voters' third choices are used.