Australia......we have preferential voting here and I'm not a fan. Too many deals done where certain parties trade with each other to get the preferential vote.
That said, you don't have to nominate your preference.
Not voting is illegal here too which sucks even more.
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Thu 7 Apr 2011, 13:34,
archived)
That said, you don't have to nominate your preference.
Not voting is illegal here too which sucks even more.
nah - compulsory voting is the only way to ensure the vote is representative. In a non-compulsory system, not-voting is completely rational, but skews the sample when non-voters are a significant group. It probably seems a bit too radical a change when people are used to the old system (i see some people above opposed to AV, god knows why).
Incidentally, in Aust you do need to nominate your preference, otherwise its invalid.
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Fri 8 Apr 2011, 7:42,
archived)
Incidentally, in Aust you do need to nominate your preference, otherwise its invalid.
Joopiter......not sure where you live but nah, you're wrong. In Australia nominating your preferences is not compulsory in all states and territories. We have had Optional Preferential Voting in Queensland state elections since 1992 and the same applies to the New South Wales Lower House.
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Fri 8 Apr 2011, 14:48,
archived)
Ah yep - got me there - I live in the West where full preferences are required, which is also the case in federal elections (the relevant comparision with the UK proposal).
Incidentally, i think optional preferences is the way to go (as you cant reasonably expect people to be informed about the policies of all the various parties that contest).
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Tue 12 Apr 2011, 6:26,
archived)
Incidentally, i think optional preferences is the way to go (as you cant reasonably expect people to be informed about the policies of all the various parties that contest).