Do you care that your vote wont count?

[PC Brigade]

Of the 5 Sheffield constituencies 4 are Labour, and 1 is Lib Dem - with the possible exception of Sheffield Central going to the Lib Dems this is not going to change.

 

What is clear is that none of the 5 are going to return a Tory MP in this election. This is because of the way the First Past the post system works.

 

On May 6th what is the motivation for would-be Tory supporters to make the effort to go and vote when they know it isn't going to have any impact on the outcome?

 

Of the three main parties only the Lib Dems want to introduce a proportional voting system, where the number of MPs more accurately reflects the number of votes. Labour wants to try the AV system (which is no more proportional than FPTP), and the Tories want no change to the electoral system.

 

So Tories - do you care that your vote isn't going to count in Sheffield, and if you do, why do you support a party that is happy for it to stay that way?

[Rioja]

The same could be said up and down the length and breadth of the country. This election will be decided by a tiny number of people in a tiny number of marginal seats.

[PC Brigade]

Exactly - the electoral reform society has identified 400+ seats where the election is effectively over already (ie. they will return the same party as last time).

 

I don't understand how people find this acceptable, or how they can support parties which don't want to do anything to change it.

[HeadingNorth]

Changing to proportional representation actually wouldn't change it very much. The election would still be decided by a very small number of floating voters. The millions who vote for the same colour every time, even if it's a donkey in a red/blue/orange rosette, will still be ignored because their votes don't need to be won.

[Stoatwobbler]

Changing to proportional representation actually wouldn't change it very much. The election would still be decided by a very small number of floating voters. The millions who vote for the same colour every time, even if it's a donkey in a red/blue/orange rosette, will still be ignored because their votes don't need to be won.

 

Exactly. PR is a total red herring, and as can be seen at European elections it does not produce "better" results or cause the politicians to change their behaviour in the slightest.

[PC Brigade]

I disagree- in 2005 Labour got 55% of the seats based on only 35% of the votes cast.

 

This couldn't happen under a proportional system, and voters would be much more likely to change their vote if they thought their preferred candidate could win a seat.

[mj.scuba]

I've always thought hell would freeze over before Brightside ever return anybody other than a Labour candidate. Now its been joined with Hillsborough, hopefully that will add significantly more LibDem and Tory supports to the constituancy as a whole, though going on the past Labour majorities in Brightside it probably won't be enough.

[PC Brigade]

Exactly. PR is a total red herring, and as can be seen at European elections it does not produce "better" results or cause the politicians to change their behaviour in the slightest.

 

So you are happy that a government can be selected on 1/3 of the votes cast?

 

Or that the party with fewer votes could take a majority of seats?

[Stoatwobbler]

I disagree- in 2005 Labour got 55% of the seats based on only 35% of the votes cast.

 

This couldn't happen under a proportional system, and voters would be much more likely to change their vote if they thought their preferred candidate could win a seat.

 

But under the PR system used in the Euro elections people wouldn't even know who the candidates are as they would be choosing from a party list!

[anywebsite]

pr systems can lead to coalition governments, with minor parties holding the balance of power. it doesn't work well in other countries.