Ideas: Yes/No voting

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Ideas: Yes/No voting

23.11.2009 // by Stuart Yates

General Elections

Each party selects candidates in order of preference and declares how many candidates it is fielding.

Ballot papers are universal, listing the parties and number of candidates fielded nationally. Voters vote for one party.

Information such as voting record about each sitting MP is sent to the local electorate with the poll card. Voters have factual information on MPs' track record.

An additional box is provided on the ballot paper: 'Would you like your present MP to continue representing you?', with 'Yes', 'No' and 'Don't care' as alternative answers. If the present MP is not standing it forms a farewell message. If the MP is standing, it captures the constituency voters' wishes which are honoured. Any combination of votes are meaningful and count towards appropriate action.

Votes and Yes/No/Don't care votes are counted. Seats are awarded to each party on the percentage of the national vote gained. Sitting MPs gaining a majority of 'Yes' votes retain their seat in that constituency. New candidates, or existing MPs not getting a majority 'Yes' vote from their constituency, are allocated a seat according to their party ranking.

Parties work down their lists, allocating candidates to constituencies according to the majorities gained (but sitting MPs with 'Yes' votes hold onto their seats) until all the seats are taken. Candidates further down the list do not become MPs.

If the number of MPs in a party who gain a majority of 'Yes' votes is more than the number of MPs allocated to that party on the share of the national vote the 'surplus' MPs who gain the lowest percentage of 'Yes' votes would not continue for those constituencies. No other seat is available as all other MPs in their party have gained more support from their constituents.

General elections are held at set intervals - say five years.

By-elections

If an MP resigns or changes party and got a minority 'Yes' vote at the last election or was a new MP, a by-election is held as above. An MP changing parties who gained a 'Yes' majority at the last election continues and there is no by-election.

Advantages/Disadvantages:

All votes count.
All shades of opinion are represented according to the support given them by the populace.
The link remains between MPs and their constituencies.
Valued senior politicians are not subject to swing marginals or tactical voting.
A reduction in independent MPs.
Fewer landslide victories.
Nationalist parties have influence in the UK Parliament according to their share of the total UK vote.
Tactical voting would be eliminated or reduced.

The full version of this idea appears here.