Preferential Voting
Majoritorian systems require the winning candidate to receive more than half of the vote to be elected. This can be achieved either through a second ballot or by means of Preferential voting (otherwise known as the “Alternative Vote” system). The second ballot systems are restricted to electing candidates for single member constituencies while preferential system can be used for both single and multi-member electorates.
Advantages:
The preferential system ensures that the winning candidate selected by party members is preferred by the majority, over the nearest rival. This system also prevents the problem inherent in First-Past-the-Post, where in a large field of candidates, a divisive and unpopular person may win. This system also means that a dominant faction can run multiple candidates, confident that its votes will eventually pool together to secure the winning position.
Preferential voting removes the time delay of the second ballot system by asking the voter to indicate at the start how he would vote if his first choice candidate were defeated and he had to choose again from the remaining candidates (voters must indicate an order of preference among a list of candidates - eg: “1, 2, 3, etc..”). With the preferential system, party members can exercise a choice between two similar and popular candidates without the fear that a third, unacceptable, candidate may be elected. The preferential system is relatively easy to understand and can produce relatively speedy results.
Disadvantages:
The preferential system has also been criticised because it requires voters to express a preference for candidates where the voter may not wish to do so. This situation can be overcome by allowing voters the option of not expressing preferences if they so desire (“optional preferential”). One small disadvantage of preferential voting is the risk of voters inadvertently casting an informal vote by omitting or duplicating a number, especially where the number of candidates is large. However, an organisation can reduce this problem by making provision for a vote to be valid until the point where preferences duplicate, or the point where a preference is omitted.
Preferential voting can however sometimes be fickle in practice by electing the least unfavoured rather than the most popular candidate. In a political situation consisting of a left, right and centre faction, the centre could receive preferences of both the left and right on the basis of being the least unfavourable option available. In a three way race, the winning faction is more dependent upon which party polls the least first preference votes rather than which party polls the most. But the converse argument is that the winning candidate is more likely to be the one who unites the majority of party members.
Overview of Method:
A. In this system, a voter is required to indicate a preference for each nominee on the ballot paper by using numbers 1, 2, 3 etc. Some parties use “optional preferential” voting, where you do not have to assign numbers to all names if you do not like them all, each voter only assigns as many preferences as they want.
B. A nominee must poll an absolute majority of formal votes (over 50%) to be elected.
C. If, after all first preference votes have been counted, no nominee has obtained an absolute majority of all formal votes, then the candidate with the fewest number of first preference votes is excluded (first preference votes are the number 1s). That excluded candidate’s votes are then redistributed to the remaining candidates on the basis of the second preference choices.
D. If after that exclusion no candidate has obtained an absolute majority of formal votes, then the next remaining candidate with the fewest votes is excluded and all of their votes are distributed to the other remaining candidates – ie: distribute their first preference votes PLUS those votes received from the first excluded candidate. The exclusion process is repeated until one candidate obtains at least an absolute majority of formal votes and is elected.
E. If at any distribution, the next available preference on a ballot paper is for a previously excluded candidate, then that preference is ignored and the vote is distributed to the candidate for whom the next sequential preference is shown.
F. If “optional preferential” voting is used, then, whenever a ballot paper runs out of preferences during a distribution, that ballot paper is said to have become “exhausted”.
G. If the number of formal votes remaining in the count reduces, because votes are exhausting, then the majority required to be elected also reduces. A candidate will be elected when they obtain an absolute majority of those votes remaining in the count at any stage.
Election of more than one candidate:
H. Votes are counted in the same way as for the election of only one candidate. Once the first candidate is elected, all ballot papers are sorted back in piles according to the first preferences.
I. Then, the piles of ballot papers containing a first preference for the first elected candidate are redistributed to the remaining candidates according to the second preference vote on each of them. The second successful candidate is elected in the same way as the first – by excluding the least popular candidate and passing their preferences on.
J. The above process is repeated until the required number of candidates have been elected.
Sample Constitutional Template:
Definitions
1. Definitions: the word “candidate” shall be taken to include any nominee for preselection and any nominee for a party officebearer position.
Completion of Ballot Papers
2. If there are two or more candidates, then, in each of the compartments provided on the ballot paper for the purpose of voting, the voter shall place the number " 1 " in the square opposite the name of the candidate for whom he votes as a first preference and may give contingent votes for as many of the remaining candidates by placing figures in the square opposite their names respectively so as to indicate in numerical sequence the order of preference.
3. (a) Notwithstanding the foregoing rules, a voter may at any time mark his paper with the words "none of the above", or vote for such a proposition on any pre-published ballot paper prepared by the Returning Officer.
(b) Where, after counting the votes, more than half of the votes cast are marked "none of the above", then the position will be declared “not filled” and shall be filled by the next ordinary meeting as if it were a casual vacancy.
4. Each voter shall be responsible for placing his ballot paper in the ballot box. When all eligible voting members have had a reasonable opportunity to vote, the votes shall then be counted by the Returning Officer and his assistants.
Method for Preferential Counting
5. On completion of the time allowed for voting, the returning officer shall examine the ballot papers and sort them into parcels according to the first preferences recorded for each candidate, rejecting any that are informal. A ballot paper is informal on which:
(a) the figure 1 standing alone indicating a first preference is not placed against the name of a candidate or is placed against the name of more than one candidate; or
(b) the figure 1 together with another figure is placed against the name of a candidate; or
(c) it cannot be determined for which candidate the first preference is recorded.
6. If any candidate receives an absolute majority of first preferences, he shall be declared the selected candidate. Where the number of formal votes cast is an even number, an absolute majority shall be half the number plus one; where the number of formal votes cast is an odd number, an absolute majority shall be half the number, plus one half.
7. If no candidate has an absolute majority of formal votes cast the Returning Officer shall make a second count. On the second count all candidates with no first preference votes shall be excluded.
8. In addition, the candidate who has the lowest number of first preference votes, other than zero, shall be excluded and each ballot paper counted to him shall be transferred to the continuing candidate next in order of preference indicated by number on each such ballot paper.
9. If any candidate has an absolute majority of votes after the second count he shall be declared elected, but if no candidate has an absolute majority of votes the process of excluding the candidate who has the fewest votes and transferring each of his ballot papers to the continuing candidate next in order of the voting members' preference shall be repeated until one candidate has received an absolute majority of votes.
10. If on any count, two or more candidates have an equal number of votes and one of them has to be excluded, that one amongst them who had the least number of votes at the last count at which they had not an equal number of votes shall be excluded. If such candidates had an equal number of votes at all preceding counts or there was no preceding count, the Returning Officer shall determine by lot which of them shall be excluded.
11. Any scrutineer may, at the end of any count, request the Returning Officer to re-examine and recount all or any of the papers dealt with during that count, and the Returning Officer shall forthwith re-examine and recount such papers. However, the Returning Officer is not obliged to recount the same papers more than once. No alteration of the dispositions of the papers shall be made at the end of a recount except to correct errors discovered in the recount.
12. The Returning Officer may at his discretion recount papers either once or more often in any case in which he is not satisfied as to the accuracy of any previous counting of the vote.
Preferential Election of Multiple Candidates
13. If there is more than one candidate required to be selected and more than one candidate has been validly nominated, then:
(a) if the number of candidates offering themselves is equal to or less than the number to be selected, and there is no requirement for an order of selection to be decided, then all candidates shall be declared elected and any remaining positions shall be filled by the subsequent ordinary meeting as if it were a casual vacancy;
(b) if the number of candidates offering themselves is more than the number to be selected, or if there is a requirement that the order of selection be determined, then voting shall proceed in accordance with the following provision.
14. Where, because of the foregoing provision, more than one candidate is required to be selected, the first position shall be filled using the counting procedures in provisions 5 to 12.
(a) To choose the second candidate from the remaining candidates:
(i) those remaining candidates shall retain their first preference votes;
(ii) the first preferences votes counted to the first successful
candidate shall be taken and distributed to the candidates
next in order of preference as first preferences votes;
(iii) that count shall then proceed in the manner indicated
in provisions 5 to 12 of this Appendix.
(b) To choose the third and subsequent candidates in the team, the count shall proceed as before with the preferences of each previously chosen candidate being distributed onwards to choose subsequent candidates.
Alternative Voting Systems:
See Choosing a Voting System