Let’s hear it for the alternative vote

This is what I was hoping to see – this afternoon Labour played their best card in staying in government, namely Gordon Brown’s resignation. Undeserved, no doubt, but the only way a Lib Dem / Labour coalition could have any credibility. Within hours the Conservatives had upped their offer, promising a referendum on the alternative vote. It was worth Nick Clegg hanging on, and this could be the breakthrough that he was waiting for.

The Conservatives have resolutely resisted electoral reform, the only one of the three main parties to think it unimportant. A move on the alternative vote is a real step forward.

So what is the alternative vote?

The alternative vote system is an adjustment to the voting system rather than an overhaul. Essentially, it’s a fairer way of delivering a single candidate through a first past the post system. Instead of ticking one candidate on the ballot, you would rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate gets a clear majority, they are elected. If they don’t, second preferences are counted, and then third, until a clear winner emerges. It’s not as radical as proportional representation, and still delivers local candidates, one per constituency.

There are other benefits to AV. Since you can be voted in on second or third choice votes, it pays not to alienate voters with a negative campaign. It also makes it harder for extremist parties to gain votes, as they would need an actual majority and most people would rank them very low. Best of all, tactical voting would be a thing of the past. For more, check out the Electoral Reform Society’s explanation here, and see below for how the election would have turned out with AV instead of first past the post.