VOTING TWICE AND HOW TO DO IT

Q- In a sentence, what's it all about?
A- Come off it -- if it could be explained in a sentence, would the job have been given to Lord Jenkins?

Q- Two sentences, then.
A- You have heard of first past the post? This is second past the post.

Q- How does it work?
A- With great difficulty. The first step is that you pick the least obnoxious candidate on the ballot paper and mark his name with a figure 1. You then choose the second least obnoxious candidate and make him No 2. And so on, until you reach the Monster Raving Loony Party, the Save Our Trees Alliance and the Flat Earth Society.

Q- Then what?
A- If your least obnoxious candidate is nevertheless so obnoxious that he fails to get 50 per cent of the vote, which would have given him the seat, the most obnoxious candidate is eliminated and his votes go to the second least obnoxious candidate.

Q- So my Flat Earth Society vote goes to the Liberal Democrats?
A- Something like that, yes.

Q- Why?
A- What do you mean, why?

Q- Why should my Flat Earth vote go to the Social Democrats? Why not to the Monster Raving Loony Party, who have more need of it if they are not to lose their deposit?
A- Because it has to go to your second-preference candidate.

Q- But the Lib-Dem isn't second preference. I don't have a second preference.
A- Then you should have exercised your democratic right and said as much, by not nominating a second least obnoxious candidate.

Q- So then what would have happened?
A- Your vote would then have been eliminated.

Q- And that's democracy?
A- Oh, indubitably. There'll be a referendum on it, in which you can state your preference either for this wonderful new voting method or against it. Then if there aren't enough votes for the new system, your alternative vote against it is eliminated and your vote in favour in favour of it carries the day.

Q- Come again?
A- No, we must move on. Now under this very simple, straightforward system, you have a second vote.

Q- According to you, I have about half a dozen votes. I start with the least obnoxious candidate and then by a process of elimination finish up with somebody I've never heard of, right?
A- No, no, no, we've done all that. What we're talking about now is the Alternative Vote Top-Up.

Q- What the hell's that when it's at home?
A- This is a corrective device to give the Liberal Democrats seats they wouldn't otherwise have. All you need to know is that you can vote either for a particular party or for a particular candidate, but your vote for the particular candidate will go to the particular party.

Q- I'm sorry, you've lost me.
A- I shouldn't worry too much about it. Is the snooker still on the telly?

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