Thanuseelan Jeyaseelan
Government & Politics Homework
Electoral Systems
)
a)
The Alternative Vote - This uses the same constituency system in First Past the Post, but instead of voting for one candidate, preferences are recorded on the ballot paper. If no one candidate wins an overall majority, the candidate who received the least first-choice votes is eliminated and the second choices of the voters who backed them are allocated to the other candidates. This continues until one candidate receives an overall majority.
Benefits
- It retains the single member constituency system and its advantages: it is likely to produce one clearly victorious party which can form government and keeps a clear and simple line of accountability between voters and their MP.
- It ensures all MPs are credible, having been elected by an absolute majority of their constituents.
- It makes individual votes less likely to be wasted: if your first-choice candidate isn't chosen, your second or third choice will probably be.
Government & Politics Homework
Electoral Systems
)
a)
The Alternative Vote - This uses the same constituency system in First Past the Post, but instead of voting for one candidate, preferences are recorded on the ballot paper. If no one candidate wins an overall majority, the candidate who received the least first-choice votes is eliminated and the second choices of the voters who backed them are allocated to the other candidates. This continues until one candidate receives an overall majority.
Benefits
- It retains the single member constituency system and its advantages: it is likely to produce one clearly victorious party which can form government and keeps a clear and simple line of accountability between voters and their MP.
- It ensures all MPs are credible, having been elected by an absolute majority of their constituents.
- It makes individual votes less likely to be wasted: if your first-choice candidate isn't chosen, your second or third choice will probably be.