12-05-2010, 08:17 PM
1
AV voting system - what is it?
OK all the talk seems to be about the 'Alternatice Vote' thingy which I'm told means that every MP must get at least 50% of the vote. How does it work ??Proportional Representation I do understand - it's the system where everybody gets what nobody wants, the maths is fairly simple.
I have a feelig AV should be even simpler but I suspect it is not.
12-05-2010, 08:25 PM
2
Re: AV voting system - what is it?
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 best system imo is STV - Single Transferable Vote.
Edit: to clarify the AV voting system:
It's like a process of elimination... so...
Say everyone votes, and they put their 1st 2nd 3rd choice/places when they vote, then they get counted.
When counted if _no_ single candidate gets over 50% then whoever voted for the candidate who came last, gets their '2nd' choice counted. If that still doesn't show a winner over 50% then they do the same again with whoever is next last.
So basically if the person you vote for comes last, you get to vote for someone else (ie your '2nd' choice).
Least that's what I've always thought AV is
12-05-2010, 08:45 PM
3
Re: AV voting system - what is it?
Thanks Azz, I had a hunch you might be able to help, I'll need to read that several times 'cos it doesn't make sense to me.If we take the first ballot and no one gets a majority it says the second preference votes of the candidate who finished last are redistributed, surely it should be the second preference votes of the candidate who came second that are redistributed.
What's the point of distributing the votes of peple who voted for the monster Raving Loonies ?? (I choose them 'cos they usually come last don't they!!)
12-05-2010, 08:54 PM
4
Re: AV voting system - what is it?
It's like a process of elimination... so...Say everyone votes, and they put their 1st 2nd 3rd choice/places when they vote, then they get counted.
When counted if _no_ single candidate gets over 50% then whoever voted for the candidate who came last, gets their '2nd' choice counted. If that still doesn't show a winner over 50% then they do the same again with whoever is next last.
So basically if the person you vote for comes last, you get to vote for someone else (ie your '2nd' choice).
Least that's what I've always thought AV is
12-05-2010, 09:04 PM
5
Re: AV voting system - what is it?
Right might have got this wrong but.........Candidate A gets 49.9% of the votes cast
Candidate B gets 49.9% of the votes cast
Candidate C gets 00.2% of votes cast and is elemated they count all second votes,if say they are all for B.
Then B gets to 50.1% and wins the seat.
12-05-2010, 09:09 PM
6
Re: AV voting system - what is it?
Yep - least that's how I think it is. Although in reality I don't think it'd be as close as per your example.One good thing about it is you get more people effectively voting for the winning party - so maybe that would translate to more people being 'behind' the govt?
12-05-2010, 09:42 PM
7
Re: AV voting system - what is it?
Originally Posted by Azz
->
Yep - least that's how I think it is. Although in reality I don't think it'd be as close as per your example.Made the example like that for simplification.
We use the same system in London(I Think)to elect the Mayor, looks like it works well.
16-05-2010, 09:03 PM
8
Re: AV voting system - what is it?
OK guys I think I get the picture now, thanks Galty and Azz for perservering with me, after much thought I suppose they have to pick the last candidate and work 'backwards' as it were, and I agree it does offer a bit more of a 'peoples choice' system albeit the last bit (to go over the 50%) could be a very small number of people.So, on balance is it better than full PR ? Well I think so, the big no no for me on full PR is that everyone gets the candidate no one wants!!! (Not always but very likely to happen in many cases)
|
|
