Alternative Vote - 5th of May, 2011

3 watchers

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DeeGee May 2011 3:36pm, 1 May 2011 8,873 posts	0 DeeGee Why is AV a waste of money? It's the same ballot slips and the same counting mechanism (ie people using eyes in a sports hall)
curly45 May 2011 3:39pm, 1 May 2011 346 posts	0 curly45 Because you have to tell everyone about how it works - cost lots and lots! And the returning officers et al have to stay later as well to finalising the counting. Its already a very long day for them. Any money spent on reform that doesnt change things is a waste of money imo.
Mick n Phil May 2011 3:40pm, 1 May 2011 13,276 posts	0 Mick n Phil we for one - or should i say two - will NOT be voting full stop
DeeGee May 2011 3:40pm, 1 May 2011 8,874 posts	0 DeeGee May I ask why?
DeeGee May 2011 3:43pm, 1 May 2011 8,875 posts	0 DeeGee Curly, on the back of my polling card, there are instructions how to vote following the current system. Anyone that's not sure how to vote can ask any of the election officials in the polling station. I agree that the count staff will need to stay longer, but that is the only significant cost, and even that can be minimised by combining more counts in one venue.
JenL May 2011 8:44pm, 2 May 2011 17,825 posts	0 JenL I think not reforming the system on the grounds of cost is...odd, to say the least: "We aren't going to change this thing that a lot of people don't like because it will involve spending money; we would rather spend that money on something that is outdated and doesn't really work"...nope, that makes no sense. I'm still mulling over the various bits but I wouldn't dream of not voting.
Johnny Blaze May 2011 8:45pm, 2 May 2011 11,019 posts	0 Johnny Blaze I don't know how to vote on this one. £250M is peanuts though compared to the money they're planning on spending on the HS2 link.
DeeGee May 2011 8:52pm, 2 May 2011 8,889 posts	0 DeeGee It doesn't require a huge re-education, either. Anyone who is a member of a professional body or a trade union, or has ever taken part in a student election will have seen a ballot paper using the alternative vote. It doesn't require voters to understand what actually happens at the count. I'm sure most voters don't understand that now. I had no idea what happened to spoilt ballot papers, for instance, or what would provoke a recount, until I was actually on that side of the electoral system. Before the last election, I'm convinced that the majority of voters didn't even understand the purpose of a coonstituency, or even who they were actually voting for. Of course, it would be a good chance to use this reform to educate the masses as to what it's all about, but that's pretty much optional and shouldn't be used as part of this argument. It's straightforward. Do you want to continue with a system where a party that didn't command a majority of votes can make up a government with a large majority with little chance of stopping unfavourable legislation, or would you prefer a system whereby the government is made up of one or two parties who have received a majority of favourable votes from the whole electorate? To be honest, the argument is a bit irrelevant at the moment, seeing as how, for the first time in a very long while, we are governed by a group which DID receive the majority of votes. And that vistory was won under FPTP.
DeeGee May 2011 8:54pm, 2 May 2011 8,890 posts	0 DeeGee Where does your figure come from JB?
controversial May 2011 6:25am, 3 May 2011 9,382 posts	0 controversial i can't vote because i am not british!!! even if I have been living and paying my taxes in UK for 11 years!