UK to hold referendum on electoral system

[Guest Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald]

With all the hype about the royal wedding / Osama Bin Laden killed, I completely forgot that there's a referendum tomorrow. I'm probably going to end up voting yes, although I doubt that even if there is a yes vote overall much is going to change election wise (out of all electoral systems to choose from, AV seems a bit of a cop out). Your thoughts WATMM?

[Guest jim]

Went on holiday to Spain and forgot to register before I left. Would have voted yes though, for what it's worth (i.e. nothing).

[Macca]

yes, shake shit up, reform reform reform.

[BobDobalina]

Can you explain this to non-Brits in sixty ten words or less?

 

I still can't believe America has this utterly ass-backwards electoral college.

 

 

*looks out window at America*

 

 

 

 

[Guest Iain C]

I generally choose not to vote, and as I'm not registered I won't be voting for or against AV. Honestly, I'm in support of true proportional representation as the only truly fair voting system and AV is still deeply flawed. However, simply breaking the stranglehold of FPTP and admitting that we need something better is probably a step in the right direction.

 

But the campaign for AV has been a disaster - fractious and drawn along party political lines. As such, it's getting a kicking in the polls. The great British public are going to vote No in droves tomorrow, and we'll be lumbered with the same old illegitimate system for another generation... providing civilised society lasts that long.

[BCM]

I shall be voting yes. not because I believe in AV particularly, just because the government needs to know we want change.

[Guest Gary C]

Not voting. Completely disenfranchised (and it's likely I'll stay this way now) and of the view that nothing will ever make the world a fairer place than it is already. Well, maybe more gay rights and less racism.

[Guest Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald]

Can you explain this to non-Brits in sixty ten words or less?

 

I still can't believe America has this utterly ass-backwards electoral college.

 

Essentially rather than voting once for one candidate, you can, if you want vote for more than one, ranking them by preference. If after the election no candidate has over 50% of the vote, the lowest scoring candidate is knocked out, then all the second preference votes for that candidate are added to the other candidates. People keep getting knocked out and preference votes are added to candidates still in the election until one candidate has over 50%.

 

Really it's almost just as much of an utterly ass-backwards electoral system as first past the post is.

[Soloman Tump]

No to AV (unless some can give me a good reason why we should use it??? Ive not heard a great convincing argument yet...)

 

Yes to some other system other than the one we use already.

 

I dunno.

 

Politics is fucked up.

 

Im seriously considering flipping a coin on this one.

[Guest Coalbucket PI]

It sounds conceptually slightly less ass-backwards to me so I will vote for it

[Guest jim]

No to AV (unless some can give me a good reason why we should use it??? Ive not heard a great convincing argument yet...)

 

Yes to some other system other than the one we use already.

 

I dunno.

 

Politics is fucked up.

 

Im seriously considering flipping a coin on this one.

 

Because it's ever so slightly fairer and more representative of public opinion. Also it would prevent parties from being underrepresented due to "tactical" voting. You can still, in effect, vote for the party you think is a "lesser evil" but this vote only gets counted if your first choice is knocked out.

 

However having witnessed that wedding fever shit last weekend I've come to think that most Brits don't deserve a vote.

[Guest Funktion]

No to AV (unless some can give me a good reason why we should use it??? Ive not heard a great convincing argument yet...)

 

Yes to some other system other than the one we use already.

 

I dunno.

 

Politics is fucked up.

 

Im seriously considering flipping a coin on this one.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm5IBhrq_PU

[Soloman Tump]

 

However having witnessed that wedding fever shit last weekend I've come to think that most Brits don't deserve a vote.

 

 

*edit*

That video actually does a good job of describing the process to the common alcoholic youth of Britain (me).

 

I still have this feeling that most people dont give a shit about this referendum however, and voting turnout will be rather low tomorrow.

[essines]

Canada just had an election.

[rixxx]

No to AV (unless some can give me a good reason why we should use it??? Ive not heard a great convincing argument yet...)

 

Yes to some other system other than the one we use already.

 

I dunno.

 

Politics is fucked up.

 

Im seriously considering flipping a coin on this one.

 

Because it's ever so slightly fairer and more representative of public opinion. Also it would prevent parties from being underrepresented due to "tactical" voting. You can still, in effect, vote for the party you think is a "lesser evil" but this vote only gets counted if your first choice is knocked out.

 

However having witnessed that wedding fever shit last weekend I've come to think that most Brits don't deserve a vote.

 

 

 

I totally agree with all of this, including the fact that Brits are idiots for getting wedding fever.

 

The tories are against it, thats good enough reason for me to vote yes. This video should help clarify all the bullshit that the no campaign have fed to the public.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FstA45lxgF

[spratters]

So can we put our first choice as yes and second as no? Or vice versa.

[BCM]

*golf clap*

[Hautlle]

I voted yes, but I have no idea what this means.

 

:sup: Welcome to America bish :sup:

[spratters]

I think I'll probably vote today. The polling station is on the way to the pub for tonight and I'll probably be half cut by the time I get there. I shall make a pissed decision.