We are just producing a leaflet which suggest people should support the AV system of voting. I'm a bit lukewarm about it personally, but will vote 'yes'.
I'll make a couple of comments about it here.
1. The basic advantage of it is that it allows people to vote positively with their first vote. Our politics is becoming overwhelmingly negative, many people vote against what they to be rid of, rather than for what they want
2. I think it actually formalises tactical voting. The second or third preferences are - surely a tactical decision?I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, mind.
3. The requirement for the winner to get over 50% support, well, I guess. Dawn P may well have had my third preference vote. I'm not sure what work she would have done to get it, mind. Or if she wanted it. Having a symbolic need to pass a 50% figure is difficult to argue against though.
4. I doubt if it helps parties like ours to get extra people elected. It may make it harder, but probably wont make a huge amount of difference.
5. Opponents seem to be saying that why should smaller parties have several votes when they only get one. Strictly speaking, this is incorrect - they can record second and third references if they choose to do so. They just may not get considered.
Fptp of course gives all the power to the largest minority (or majority, but usually it is a minority). With the fractionalisation of voting habits (is that a word?) it is becoming increasingly unsatisfactory. We'd obviously rather see a proper system of PR. Some day maybe....
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