AV or not ?

[theoldbrigade]

Thoughts please.

The usual intellectual snobbery - there are those who argue for NO on the basis of most people being unable to understand AV. There are those who intend to vote YES happy say anyone who disagrees must be unable to have made an informed decision. Puts you off people generally!

but the no campaign is claiming it will take money away from troops abroad, thereby making yes voters feels guilty

my brother and godbrother are both serving in afghanistan at the moment and have postal voted yes

Yes yes yes

swedes... your comment re 'the thicko vote' amuses me, would have thought it might be the other way round esp if a yes vote gives the liberals an avantage....!

It's not only Tories and the BNP urging the NO vote - prominent Labour MPs too - including their Chief Whip. Just not as polarised as the media suggests.

'advantage' obviously.... oops might need to change my vote!!!

No from me - coalitions are generally a bad thing IMO

I'm surprised at the lack of information available about AV.
I only know about it because I've shown an interest.
My husband doesn't know what it is! So it wouldn't surprise me if it's a 'no', as people won't want to vote if they don't know enough about it.

It's a NO for DH & I, off to vote when he returns from work (having been locked in the house, after I left my housekeys in his car last night..DOH!).

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.

I see those claiming Australia wants FPTP have withdrawn a bit.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?

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.

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

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.

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!

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

Yes.

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!

Dont think it will happen this time.

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...)

Neither, I never vote.

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!

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.

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.