THE ALTERNATIVE VOTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 249, 15 July 1919, Page 6

THE ALTERNATIVE VOTE

Sir,—Mr. von llaast's letter in -Saturday's Dominion on the alternative vote", brings forward a subject that in the interests of tile country ought to lie considered by Parliament, and dealt with 1 by legislation before the next general elections. The alternative vote is a safeguard against election of a candidate by a minority,vote. I think, however, that the method of marking and counting the votes under the alternative vote system is open to considerable improvement.- One strong objection to this system as advocated by Mr. von Haast is the fact that the second votes of perhaps quilo a. fewvoters may decide an election. Why should not all the second votes cast bo credited to tho various candidates? Another objection is that tho extension of votes up to perhaps five or six would make for confusion in the minds of many voters. It would also add materially to the work of the returning officers, and increase the risk of mistakes -in counting. In this country, where the indications are that we shall liavo three parties nominating candidates for most «nls, we want, the single alternative vote. That is to sny, tlio voter marks 1 and 2 against the candidates of his choice, irrespective of how many more names than two are on the ballot paper. Then .when the counting commences each candidate gets his first and second votes credited lo him separately right through the count. If it be found that a candidato has secured an absolute majority of first votes, of course, he is declared elected right away. If not, each candidate's second votes are added to his first, and the candidate securing the highest number is elected. Any votor not using his second vote would render his ballot paper informal. In this method (he extra labour in counting is small, and tho candidate elected more

truly reflects the views of his electorate than under any other system. In this country we have the Reform and Liberal Parties with views so nearly l alike that nothing but personal ( political ambition is keeping them apart; but because of this the vole-splitting in many electorates will be a very serious matter. On the other hand, we have the Labour Party, representing a comparatively small portion of tho voters in mast electorates, putting forward candidates who can only get in if the present system of voting is continued. The following example gives some idea of lioiv the system proposed would work out. A! is a Lal>our candidate, who, on first votes, gets 10(H). li and C, representing bit other two parties, get 3000 ueh. A's second votes go as follow: B 1500, C -.500; B's second votes go: A 500. C 2500; Co second votes go: A Kfl, B 2200. Wa now, A 5300, B 6700, C 8000. It is olain that in a case like this C is by mr the most representative candidate, line advantage of this system would be tluit in the second votes the personal element would count for much more than y the first choice. It would give the independent candidate a better chance of winning; and I think the country has had quite enough of strict party men of late years, and would wclcomc mora independent members in Parliament. I mean really independent men, not railsitters. The splendid work done by nonparty Ministers in the Home Government has been an object lesson in the benefits to be derived by the presence in Parliament of capable men without extreme political bias.

By confining the number of votes to two, though the system might not get the mind of the electorate down to such an exact point, yet for all practical purposes it would ensure the return of the most popular candidate, , which the pre* sent system certainly does not always do. If we can get a Parliament elected that will really represent tho people we need not 1m afraid of the big problems that nre waiting solution, if, oil' the' other hand, we go to the next election on tho present voting system, we will probably find that the Labour Party will be sufficiently strong after tho election to hold the bii lance of power. One has only to read the newspaper reports of their, meetings to know what to expect if that happens. Instead of the country settling down to work out its salvation, thsra will be nothing but turmoil for another three years, and tho disastrous effects will ba felt for many years to come. Tho coming years nre the most critical in the history of the Dominion, and it behoves us to do everything we can to ensure that only sane, reliable men are returned as tlm-people's representatives. I would like to see the system outlined above inquired into. As far as I can find out it is not in use anywhere; but, it seems to. me that .the advantages far nutweieh the defects, and that it would Iw well worth the trouble incurred in changing from the present system.—l am, etc., A. H.'BURGESS.