AV or not ?

swedes, it makes no sense for the LD to be able to get votes from the man parties, as the main parties always get the most votes and will therefore not be eliminated (unless something major changes in politics).

It is more likely that the LD will NOT benefit from AV I would think. Not on a national scale, anyway.

Yes! 1,000 times yes!

See these videos for the best reasons.

DH and I voted yes.

I've said NO, because although I'm not of the 'political understanding' group, I have the feeling that the AV may give parties like the BNP more of a chance to 'get in' and I don't want that to happen. Of course, I may be way off the mark and probably am, in which case I'm ok with it staying the same as it is.

No.
Went to an interesting debalte last night in Richmond with the nos and the yesses represented, and basically the nos wiped the floor yesses who were the LibDemDems - teh latter being a self-servign bunch who would be the only beneficiaries from the change. I was undecide as i din;'t understand it before I went - but wjen it was explained clearly it was a no-brainer. Felt aa bit sorry for the LibDemDems who were slaughtered, but they were exposed as being in it for their own gain.

Swedes2 - oh yes - me too! - Freudian slip. Just found a spare 'e' lying around and thought I'd bung it in.

No. When I vote there is one person I want to win and the rest I don't. So I will never be able to put a second choice. This means that people who do put a second choice potentially have more say than I do. And perhaps they are able to rank their candidates in order of preference because they care less who wins.

LOL @ sufferage.

I live in N.I and as both the main parties who always get in have very strong terrorist connections particuarlly Sinn Fien I will not vote for any of them, the AV system or similar has been used here in the past and it made no difference tbh such is the voting system here were people from Eire can vote in N.I (U.K) elections which makes the vote swing considerably towards the republicans.

Tw1inkle - I realise that but since I don't intend to use a second place vote then I see no reason to switch to AV.

TBH I don't see how AV means more people get a say in who is in government. If one party doesn't get 50% of the 1st choice votes and only gains the seat after the reallocation of 2nd and 3rd choice votes then they they still aren't the party of choice for the majority of the people. It seems to me to be a pointless exercise.

I always vote. Women's sufferage and all that. I feel voting is a duty, not a right. A duty to those who fought for us to be allowed to vote and to society in general. I accept that freedom means the freedom not to do it too. But I think it should be a considered refusal, not a can't be arsed one. Not saying COnculainey can't be arsed - I have no idea of your reasons - just saying what I think generally.

Here's a cheeky ask - could somebody vote for me please?

I appreciate that many people out there are undecided or can't be bothered to vote. Well, I have looked at all the arguments, I have decided, and I actually care... but I am unable to vote.

Cue lame story about moving to a new voting district and not sending in my change of address form by the deadline, so I now can't vote in either district (unless I get in the car and drive 200 miles right now.)

Anyhoo, if you weren't going to use your vote, even things up a bit by putting in a big fat YES vote for me.

Many thanks!

Neither, I never vote.

It's not perfect Missingfriends (sorry you have that name - poor thing) but I am glad we are lucky enough to live in a democracy. It's a lot more crap in a lot of places. I think we forget what a lot there is to appreciate - at lest we're being given a chance to vote even if the outcome isn't what we want. I am sad there is so much negativity about the freedoms we have here. (Friend is just back from Kabul, via Libya - we really don't know how fortunate we are sometimes...)

Dont think it will happen this time.

OOh just realised something:

First past the post means that if you switch parties from a main party, you make sure your new party loses, and your old party loses (unless you vote for the other main party).

i.e government only changes when the core vote are so sick, they go for a party go to a third party

That is why we ONLY swap governments after dramatic country wrecking failures not before!! FPTP CAUSES boom and bust. THAT IS WHY Financial Times is pro! No wonder! - god its awful! I have just realised how crap our democracy is!

Yes.

Oh, and the "you'll only get a coalition" argument doesn't wash as FPTP has left us with the current coalition.

Having spent quite a long time today trying to find out exactly what AV is before casting a vote either way, I am going with yes. Mainly because I believe choice is a good thing & that people who support the smaller parties should get their say!

Yes from me too, not because I think it's the Answer but because I want it to be felt that I'm unhappy with FPTP. Which is a really stupid and unsatisfactory way of voting for positive change! This sodding referendum is asking the wrong question.

With AV, you can still vote for the 'one' party you want to win - you don't have to have a second choice!

I voted no. I don't think it would change much except making counting more long winded and costly. Also, if I vote for a party, that is because they are the party I want to win. I don't want my second choice to win - if I did I would have voted for them.

There must surely be a better way of replacing FPTP than AV.

I see those claiming Australia wants FPTP have withdrawn a bit. This is the worst campaign I ever saw for misinformation and downright lying. AV doesn't necessarily lead to coalitions, and has it escaped everyone's notice that the current trainwreck was elected with FPTP?

Yes from me, perhaps not for the right reasons. If as anticipated there is a resounding no vote, an early election is likely and the Lib Dem vote will probably collapse and we will return to two-party politics. I don't vote Lib Dem or like the coalition, but more choice rather than less has to be good in my opinion.