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Thread: STV - Single Transferable Vote

  1. #1
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    Default STV - Single Transferable Vote

    First time ever in my life I will vote in an election where STV (Single Transferable Vote) is used. Coming from Europe I have no experience with it. I checked online a bit, including Wikipedia.

    Anyone out there to share a comment, experience or the like?

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by ralf-nz View Post
    First time ever in my life I will vote in an election where STV (Single Transferable Vote) is used. Coming from Europe I have no experience with it. I checked online a bit, including Wikipedia.

    Anyone out there to share a comment, experience or the like?
    I have no direct experience, but have you checked this site?

    http://www.stv.govt.nz/STV/index.htm

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by chickadee View Post
    I have no direct experience, but have you checked this site?

    http://www.stv.govt.nz/STV/index.htm
    Yep, read there in the mean time - thanks!

  4. #4
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    You don't have to use all your numbers. There was one person I really didn't want to get back into council at the last election so out of the 8 candidates I think I only ranked my top 3 preferences (3 seats available).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ally Bally Bee View Post
    You don't have to use all your numbers. There was one person I really didn't want to get back into council at the last election so out of the 8 candidates I think I only ranked my top 3 preferences (3 seats available).
    As far as I progressed through the information it depends on the actual system if you "have to use all your numbers" or not; we do not.
    In our election for council there are 39 candidates for 11 vacations. Isn't that fun?! All of the current council are standing too, who are pretty useless IMHO. So I know not to rank them at all.

  6. #6
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    The system is to allow for simmilar candidates to stand. In a 2 party system, it doesn't matter. But in anything more than that then it has a huge effect. Let's assume that there is party A and Party B and one seat. Support is split 60-40. Whatever system is in use, then party A wins. But with STV then if Party A has an internal barney and two candidates with roughly equal support are fielded then in normal first past the post, party B would win as that candidate would get the greatest votes (40 compared to 31 and 29). This despite 60% of the electorate favouring the policies of Party A. So with STV then in the first round no-one has 50%, so candidate A2 (29%) is eliminated and the second choice is used to add to candidate B and A1. So then, we assume that almost all the 29 votes go to A1, with a only a few jumping the divide to Party B. So then after round 2 we have A1 with 58% and B with 42%, A1 wins and this is deemed to be more representative of the elctorate's wishes instead of only 40% of people being in support of B then 58%, a majority, have shown a preference to A1.

    But counting this is a pain in the butt, especially by hand. I was returning officer for a college election under this system, with 8 posts being elected. Took fricking ages to count, recount, eliminate, redistribute, recount........

  7. #7
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    Never used a system like that before. Seems logical at first blush.

    Seems like (in your case where there are two candidates from one party) it would allow you to vote against the weasel without throwing it to the opposition.

    Beyond the counting difficulties, what are the pros and cons?

  8. #8
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    People can't uderstand it and end up puttin an 'x' in the box not a number, therefore spoiling their vote entirely. Or put two number 3s in by accident, etc.

    You can't get a candidate in that no-one wants, but the second to last one in the initial vote could win. Is that right?

    So essentially it favours mediocrity, where the candidate that is least offensive to everyone wins, not the one that has the most actual support. This becomes more so when the list of candidates becomes longer.

    People can't be bothered to read one manifesto, and tend to just vote by the colour of the rosette of their 'favoured' parties. Attempting to get people to make an educated ranking of all the parties works for those that are interested in politics, but the majority of the population in many democratic countries can't be bothered. Oh the irony. So you'd actually end up with some pretty random voting by round 4 or 5.

  9. #9
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    The main disadvantage, as Duncan says, is mediocrity. It forces candidates to try not to upset anyone and, in doing so, means that you get people who are completely lacking in personality and policies!

  10. #10
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    i'm sure it was a lot simpler than this in the Dunny-on-the-Wold by election?

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