FA

The Alternative
Vote: Questions
Answered
Introduction
So, what’s AV?
The Coalition Government has But any change brings questions. The
pledged to hold a referendum Electoral Reform Society has sought
on whether to introduce to tackle the myths emerging around
the Alternative Vote (AV) for the shift to AV. We want to separate
elections to the House of the facts from the fiction, and address
Commons. the legitimate concerns that voters
may have as they get ready to make
AV represents a simple change to their choice at the coming referendum.
our current First-Past-the-Post (FPTP)
voting system. But that change can The Society is convinced that AV
have a profound, positive impact on offers a better deal for British voters.
how politics works in the UK. Come the referendum, that choice
is yours.

If you have any further questions or

queries you can contact us at
ers@[Link]
Part one
AV: The basics
Q. How does AV work? and said: “If they’re out of that I’ll one a much bigger say, and a greater as they currently do under FPTP.
A. It’s simple. For voters AV just have a lemonade.” chance of helping to decide who their Similarly, they can rate two or three
means swapping the ‘X’ on your ballot next MP will be. or all of the candidates – that’s com-
paper for a ‘1, 2, 3…’ Voters can rate Q. Isn’t it fair that the candidate pletely up to each voter and their
the candidates how they see fit, and with the most votes wins? Q. Don’t you end up with the vote will still count.
if their favourite doesn’t win, they can A. What matters is what’s fair Least-Worst Candidate?
still have a say. for voters. It’s a system that A. No. FPTP just lets in winners Q. Will my ballot change?
produces winning MPs who can that most of voters didn’t want. A. Not in the slightest. An AV
Q. So what’s the point? speak for the many with support from AV ensures a winning candidate has to ballot paper will look exactly the
A. The principle behind AV is the few. work harder and go further to secure same as it currently does, with a list
just as simple: An election winner AV redresses the balance. With AV support from a majority. That’s what’s of candidates’ names alongside their
should need the support of a major- when a winner crosses the finish line needed to be ‘best’, and may explain parties’ names with an empty box by
ity of the people. So if no candidate they’ve had to bring 50% of voters why politicians are so keen on AV each one.
commands 50% support, the last with them. Divisive and complacent when electing their own… The difference is simply that instead
placed candidate drops out and their candidates would tend to do badly, When Hollywood recently dumped of just putting an ‘X’ in just one box,
voters’ 2nd preferences come into which is how it should be. First-Past-the-Post for AV, they didn’t voters will be able to put a ‘1, 2, 3…’
play. This continues until one candi- change the wording on the statuette and so on in as many boxes as
date has majority support. Q. Doesn’t that mean some to Academy Award for Least-Worst they please.
Under FPTP you get just one people get two votes? Picture. They wanted a real winner,
choice. And that has meant that most A. No. But everyone gets a a Best Picture that could deliver on Q. Who uses AV?
MPs – 2 out of 3 returned in 2010 - vote that goes further. Whether that promise. A. AV is a tried-and-tested
get elected with less than half of vot- you just put a ‘1’ by your favourite system. In Britain millions of people
ers on their side. With AV successful candidate, or number every person Q. Do I have to give a 2nd in businesses, unions and charities
candidates have to work harder to on the ballot paper, only one of those preference if I don’t have one? already use it. Political parties use it
secure majority support. votes will be counted. A. No. You can vote for a few or to elect their leaders. MPs themselves
AV would remove the frustration as many candidates as you like. use it to elect their Speaker and
Q. Isn’t that too confusing? many voters feel that they currently AV gives you the freedom to vote their officials.
A. Few people would be con- have no vote at all - they support a sincerely for any number of candidates When politicians are the voters –
fused by this. Voters put a ‘1’ by party that has little real chance of you feel are up to the job. You aren’t when they are electing their own lead-
their first choice, a ‘2’ by their second winning under the current system, so forced to vote for any candidate you ers – AV is the system they choose.
choice, a ‘3’ by their third choice and they have absolutely no say in who is don’t want. If you only want to support When you need a real winner who
so on. The logic’s familiar enough to ultimately elected. one candidate you can. needs to speak for the majority AV is
anyone who’s ever asked a friend to People only have one vote with AV. If they prefer, voters can simply put the go-to system.
pop down to the shops for a coke It’s a more valuable vote, giving every- a ‘1’, or an ‘X’, by one candidate
Part two
AV: The Impact
Q. Who Benefits? in 2010, and had periods in the 1950s, about their constituency link. And a fraction of the vote.
A. The Voters. Millions of us have 1960s and 1990s where when a single lot of them seem to enjoy it a lot more Voters can kick the rascals out if
been taken for granted. AV means party has been unable to effectively than the voters. they have a stronger say. AV gives
making a simple change to the voting govern alone. Canada, which Many of our MPs currently have a them that chance. Complacent
system which will make sure your MP also uses First-Past-the-Post, has pretty dodgy link to their constituents. MPs can’t be sure of winning or
will have to work harder to earn and permanent hung parliaments. Australia, Barely a third of MPs can speak for the keeping their seats unless they have
keep your support. which uses AV, has returned its first majority of their voters. AV strengthens the backing of over half of their
What this change does is make hung parliament in 28 elections. the link by giving people the MPs constituents.
sure that in future, MPs can’t be sure Hung parliaments occur if enough they actually voted for. AV forces
of winning or keeping their seats voters support a third party. AV gives complacent MPs to take heed of the Q. Won’t election night
unless they have the backing of over voters a greater say over candidates in interests of their constituents because take longer?
half of their constituents. their constituency. How they vote is up their jobs depend on it. A. AV isn’t about making life
to them. more exciting for political
Q. Who loses out? Q. Wouldn’t reform help minority junkies. It’s about giving voters more
A. Complacent or extremist Q. Wouldn’t AV mean more parties like the BNP? say. A slightly longer wait for election
politicians. AV forces candidates tactical voting? A. No. For extremists AV is a results seems a small price to pay.
to work for majority support. The big A. No. AV simply eliminates the brick wall. Currently because MPs Counting the preferences on an AV
losers are candidates that are either to need for it. Why should we have can get elected with support from less ballot may take longer than simply
lazy or too divisive to reach out to the to abandon the party we actually than 1 in 3 voters, there is always a counting the Xs on First-Past-the-
majority of voters – those that can’t or support, to prevent the party we least risk that extremist parties can get in. Post papers. Experience from the last
won’t simply don’t have a future. support getting in? The dilemma The BNP have learnt this lesson, and election shows the public and the
Our hard working MPs have nothing facing millions of voters is often have used it to scrape wins in town markets are not going to take fright
to fear from AV. It’s only those who’ve characterised as the choice between halls across the country. With AV, just because they have to wait a few
taken their constituents for granted “voting with your head or your heart”. no-one can get elected unless most more hours to know the result.
that need to worry. AV allows people to do both. people back them. Therefore the risk
AV offers an honest vote. It gives of extremist parties getting in by the Q. Will AV boost turnout?
Q. Wouldn’t AV mean more hung everyone a chance to vote sincerely back door is eliminated. A. A vote that matters is worth
parliaments? for the candidates they really want turning up for. We can’t promise
A. No. Hung parliaments are no knowing their vote can go further. Q. Doesn’t the current system the earth with AV. Millions of voters
more likely with AV – and as you let us ‘kick the rascals out’? have plenty of reasons for staying
might have noticed FPTP hasn’t given Q. What about the A. Tell that to voters living in at home on Election Day. But chief
Britain any special immunity to them. Constituency Link? our safe seats. Time-and-again among them is the knowledge that
Britain has experienced hung A. AV keeps the link and makes these voters have to put up with their vote won’t count, and AV can
parliaments in the 1920s, 1970s, and it stronger. Politicians like to talk MPs guaranteed election on a change that.
AV: The Impact
Continued Part three
AV: The Referendum
It’s said if you lose a voter at their Q. Why a referendum? lets many MPs keep their safe
first election, you’ve lost them for life. A. MPs are used to setting seats for life.
With AV we can give first-time voters their own rules. This referendum Polls have indicated that as many
a chance to see their vote make a will be the first time ordinary voters as 8 out 10 want change. MPs who
difference. have been given a chance to decide oppose AV often say that ‘they never
the terms of employment for their hear people mention voting reform
Q. Will AV change things on the employees in parliament. on the doorstep’. What they don’t
campaign trail? It’s right and proper that voters mention is that they very frequently
A. Yes – and for the better. The should have the chance to make hear people on the doorstep complain
public are tired of ‘Punch and Judy’ this decision. And unlike our current that politicians are not listening, that
politics. At election time, politicians elections, every vote will count. they ignore local people’s wishes
spend a lot of their time sniping at the and that they are unaccountable – all
other parties instead of telling voters Q. Isn’t First-Past-the-Post a problems that AV helps to address.
what their own solutions would be. British Tradition?
First-Past-the-Post encourages this A. Our parliament is not a Q. Isn’t electoral reform just
type of negative campaigning. Many museum. There has always been for Lib-Dems?
candidates would prefer supporters evolution in our politics, and AV is a A. No. It’s for 40 million voters.
of other parties to simply switch off logical next-step. Supporters of all parties have been
from politics and stay at home on The secret ballot, votes for women, taken for granted for too long. Our
Election Day. and votes for working people were politicians are all-too-often fixated on
But with AV, candidates know that all innovations once, and met with how voting reform will affect them and
they won’t get elected unless they opposition. These changes didn’t rip up their own parties’ prospects.
can reach out to a wide majority the rule book, but they were necessary A referendum on the Alternative
of the voters. They need to attract to improve the way we do politics. Vote was promised in the Labour
voters who will be giving their first Voters aren’t looking for a manifesto and was at the heart of
preference to other parties. In this revolution. They’re looking for a the Liberal-Conservative Coalition
way, AV reduces the current incentive simple change that preserves and agreement. Supporters come from all
to attack. AV rewards candidates who improves on what’s come before. parties and none.
appeal to voters from other parties,
not just their own. Q. Do the public even care about
voting reform?
A. Yes, and with good reason.
While many British voters are worried
about their jobs, First-Past-the-Post
The Electoral Reform Society is Strong Voters We want to increase
campaigning to change the way the power of the public in elections
we choose our politicians. by giving everyone a vote that really
counts, and choice and competition
We take our message on fair votes on polling day.
and effective representation to
politicians of all parties. You can help Accountable Politicians Voters
us deliver it. need a real link with their representa-
tives, and the chance to hold them
to account.

Popular Government We want our

government elected and supported by
the majority of voters, and not the few.

Mature Politics We need politics

where debate and cooperation
takes the place of confrontation and
fake theatre.

[Link]