The Supplementary Vote (SV)

Question 1

majoritarian or proportional?

Answer 1

majoritarian

Question 2

how does it work?

Answer 2

the voters have 2 choices, they put their first option in the first column, and their second option in the second column

once all of the first choice ballots are counted, the one with the majority wins the election

if no one has a majority, the top two candidates enter a second round of counting, and the second choice votes are added on, whoever gets the majority wins

Question 3

what are 2 effects of using SV?

Answer 3

• two party system
• strong single party government

Question 4

3 advantages of SV

Answer 4

• simple and easy to understand as there are no math calculations
• ensures the winning candidate has a clear majority of votes, increasing legitimacy
• voters have more choice than with FPTP

Question 5

which party gained more votes through the use of SV?

Answer 5

the green party gained over 150,000 votes in the 2016 London Mayoral Election

Question 6

3 disadvantages of SV

Answer 6

• creates a two party system, meaning third parties are at a disadvantage which could decrease turnout at elections
• majority might be a false majority
• leads to a large number of wasted votes