Saturday 9 June 2012

If we have multiple winners there is proportionality

First past the post is a single-winner type of election. The problem with single-winner elections is that because only one candidate can win voters must decide which candidates have a chance to win. Only those with a chance to win can win outright and so they must vote for a less preferred candidate... their democratic power is diminished. If there are multiple winners in an election this means that voters can promote their unequivocal choice without fear of their vote being wasted. Multiple winner elections result in fewer wasted votes. If there is only a single winner we have less opportunity to have our views expressed. Proportional representation relies on there being more than one winner otherwise not everyone can win and people will vote in a game-theoretic 'tactical' manner. If there are not multiple winners there will not be proportionality.

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