Why I’m voting Yes to AV
May 5, 2011After doing a fair bit of research into AV, and taking into consideration the costs, I’m voting yes to AV today, and here’s my broad reasoning:
- It is fairer, and when the political map more accurately reflects voter intention you’d hope that the outcome would be a more engaged, accepting electorate
I’m so frustrated by leaflets pushed through my letterbox (by all parties) saying that the third placed party candidate can’t win in my constituency so I am forced to make a decision between the other two. This won’t go away entirely with AV, but at least with AV I can make sure that if I feel I need to use my first preference tactically, I can use my second preference to vote for my favourite candidateI can use my second preference to vote for whichever of the two leaders I think is less of an eejit (thanks for clarifying this, Martin!).- Yes, it’s a bit more expensive because counting is more involved, but in theory you’d think a more accepting electorate would perhaps, for example, strike less, and protest less, resulting in less disruption to the economy and lower public expenditure on policing
These videos helped me make up my mind (the last one in particular – the first two are a bit too simplistic, imply that felines would NEVER vote for canines, tacitly suggest that coffee-drinkers and bulldogs are all secretly out-moded right-wingers out to destroy the world).
