The Preferential Vote

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 253, 23 July 1935, Page 11

The Preferential Vote

Sir.—lt is t u be hoped that the service you have rendered by again drawing attention to the danger at the general election of a government attaining office on a minority vote of the people will arouse the electors and their representatives in Parliament to the gravity of the situation. With the announcement of so many Independent candidates and the probable entry into the field of a large number of candidates in the interests of a new party, it is imperative that some alteration be made in our .present system to ensure that every member elected represents, as far as is practicable, the views.of the majority in his electorate. " As you stated in your leader in last Thursday’s "Dominion,” neither the second ballot nor proportional representation commend -themselves to the people of the Dominion, but a simple form of preferential voting would solve, to a great extent, the difficulties that at present confront us, in ascertaining which candidate is most favoured in the electorate. Certainly we do not want the cumberous system of preferential voting which is used in Australia, where an elector is somtimes called upon to exercise ten or more preferences. But in our single constituencies where the number of candidates rarely exceeds four or five a modified system could be used by which the electors would be able, without any confusion, to indicate the order of their choice, and which system would not cause the least delay in ascertaining the result of the ballot.

The most objectionable feature of the preferential system in use to my mind is that it is possible for the second preferences of a candidate at the bottom of a long list, to determine the result of the ballot. It is neither fair nor democratic that the second choice of a few voters should be the determining factor in any election, and. by the way, the votes given to the lowest candidate on a list of five or six would most probably not come from the most intelligent section of the electors. If second preferences are to deckle an election let every elector’s vote have an equal weight. I would suggest that a compulsory preferential vote be adopted, limited to first and second choice, where there are three candidates, and to first, second and third choices where there are more than three candidates. By limiting the preferences as suggested above voting would be a simple matter, yet for all practical purposes it would be as effective in securing the return of the most favoured candidate as the unlimited preference. I suggest also that where no candidate receives an absolute majority of the first prferences. that the second preferences given to every candidate be distributed. Then in those'eases where there.are only three candidates, that one receiving the highest combined total would secure election. Where there are more than three candidates the third preferences would be treated in the same manner as the second and again that candidate receiving the highest combined total must be held to be tlie choice of the electorate. Another advantage of this method is that the result of any election could l>e ascertained almost as quickly as under the present system. When the preliminary count of the votes takes place, it would be an easy matter for those engaged to mark off in separate spaces on their counting sheets the preferences shown on each ballot paper. The totals from each booth could be sent in showing the number of first, second and third preferences, as the ease might be. given to each candidate With these in hand the returning officer would be in the same position to announce the result of the ballot as he is under the present system. The question of making the use of the additional preferences compulsory rather than optional is a debatable one. but I believe the advantages would far outweigh the disadvantages. The question of making voting at parliamentary elections compulsory is one that might well be given consideration when electoral reform is being discussed. The adoption of compulsory voting in .Australia has been the means of ensuring that when the popular vote is taken it is the voice of 90 to 95 per cent, of the electors, while in New Zealand the increasing apathy on the part of many people toward political affairs is resultin"- in a lower percentage of the electors exercising their votes at each election. I regret the undue length of this letter, but the gravity of the issue must be my excuse.—l atn, etc., BURGESS. Wnikanae, July 20.