Browsing through my old campaign stuff. I like this one I came up with about Turkeys.
Alternative Vote.
What Shall we eat this Christmas?
A chart shows that 10% would prefer Nut Roast, 20 per cent would prefer Fish, 20& would prefer Roast beef, and 30% would prefer Turkey.
Slogan underneath then says FPTP (First Past the Post) gives you Turkey when 70% of you would prefer something else. Vote Yes: Let's AV a change!
The Alternative Vote - how it really works
It’s simple. The small change to the Alternative Vote ('AV') just means swapping the ‘X’ on your ballot paper for numbers. You can rate the candidates how you see fit, and so if your favourite doesn’t win, you can still have a say.
So what’s the point?
The principle behind AV is just as simple. An election winner should need the support of a majority of the people. So if no candidate commands 50% support, the last placed candidate drops out and their
voters’ second preferences come into play. This continues until one candidate has majority support.
Under First Past the Post ('FPTP') you get just one choice. And that has meant that most MPs – 2 out of 3 of those elected in 2010 - get to parliament with less than half of voters on their side. With AV successful candidates have to do more to secure majority support.
When most employers are selecting a new employee they tend to whittle a long list of candidates down to a final two and then make their choice. AV replicates this approach with our employees in parliament.
So what’s the difference?
The Alternative Vote takes what works with First Past the Post and improves on it.
Your MP - You will still have one MP in your area, but they will have to speak for the majority of your
community. They will have to work harder and try to represent more of their constituents’ interests. And
they won’t be able to take the people for granted any more.
Too many MPs have got used to ‘jobs for life’ in the safe seats the current system has created. AV gives
more reason to get involved.
With AV you will be able to back the candidate you really want, but if your favourite doesn’t win your
election isn’t over any more. For the millions of people forced into tactical voting just to keep out a
candidate they don’t like, AV offers the chance of an honest vote. And for the parties who prefer just to
focus on a handful of voters in marginal seats, it means your voice can’t be ignored.
Your ballot - An AV ballot paper will look exactly the same as it currently does. Instead of only putting an ‘X’ in just one box, you will be able to put a ‘1,2,3…' and so on in as many boxes as you please.
You can vote for as many or as few candidates as you like. If you only want to support one candidate, you can - just mark an ‘X’ as you did before. AV gives you the freedom to vote sincerely for any number of candidates you feel are up to the job.
