Supplementary Vote

Question 1

what system is SV?

Answer 1

majoritarian system

Question 2

how does sv work?

Answer 2

vote for 2 candidates - if no candidate has over 50% of vote, top 2 are standing off
second vote from losers is counted and then one of the top 2 must have an overall majority

Question 3

where is sv used?

Answer 3

used to be used in London Mayorsl elections but now changed to fptp as well as PCC
(polics crime commissioner)

Question 4

points against SV?

Answer 4

• loser candidate may win on second choice votes
• apparently is too complicated for voters
• seen as less democratic to secure absolute majority through second round votes
• promotes 2 party system - smaller parties less likely to win seats

Question 5

why may Tory government change London mayoral election to FPTP vs SV?

Answer 5

Sadiq Khan, MoL is Labour - may give them a better chance of winning in future.
Set for the next election to be May 2024

Question 6

advantages of SV?

Answer 6

• overall majority for winning candidate - legitimacy
• split voting allowed - opinions can be expressed
• relatively simple to understand
• usually does not end up in power sharing