| 1. Voting Systems |
| The present system of deciding top up AMs
is unecessarily complicated and cumbersom. All the
information needed to decide top up AMs is in fact available
on the first past the post ballot paper. I suspect
the total number of votes case for each party on the first
ballot paper is within a few % of their votes on the second
ballot paper and exactly the same AMs would be elected
on the top up if the votes on the first ballot paper were
used and not the second. |
| The second paper only serves to confuse
the voters and they are unlikely to know who the top up
candidates are until they reach the polling station.
Eliminating the second ballot paper would avoid confusing
the voters, save paper, save time at the polling station,
and save time at counting. |
| I did actually vote differently on the
second ballot paper than the first. Obviously I
voted Labour on the first ballot paper, but as Labour
had no chance on the top up, I voted tactically on the
second ballot paper and voted for the Socialists.
Though I suspect that most voters did not think of that
and voted Labour twice. If our voters voted Labour
on the first ballot paper and Socialist on the second
paper, we would have plenty of Labour AMs and Socialist
AMs. |
| The top up votes could be decided by adding
up all the votes for each party on the first ballot paper
for Euro constituency, deducting the 8% for each first
past the post seat won as at present and dividing the
seats up in proportion to each parties share of the votes
as now. The AMs elected for each party as top ups
would be those for each party with the highest number
of votes so for example the Tories elected in South Wales
Central would be their candidates for Cardiff North and
The Vale of Glamorgan, not The Rhondda and Cynon Valley.
The top up two Tories elected for South Wales Central
be their candidates for |