Only half know what they are doing.
That’s in general elections, where the turnout puts
local government elections to shame—in spite of voters needing to travel no further than the mailbox.
And not only do a mere 52% understand ‘
which of the two votes that you have in MMP is more important’, the
79% turn-out means that only about 40% vote
and know what they are doing. Scots, although not asked an identical question, have an even lower of knowledge of how
their mixed member proportional system works. A mere
24% knew the correct answer to the question:
…list seats are allocated to try to make sure each party has as fair a share of seats as is possible.
But before concluding that voter education is a lost cause and changing to a lesser system, or back to first-past-the-post, a simple tune-up the current system can be performed.
The tune-up is as easy as 1 2 3:
- 1 Voters put a 1, or a tick, in the party box
- 2 Voters (if so inclined) give their second preference a 2
- 3 Voters (if so inclined) give their third preference a 3, and so on.
Repeat, for the electorate vote.
And that’s pretty much all there is to it:
- 1 No need for three-yearly voter education
- 2 Fewer list seats are needed
- 3 Votes for also-ran parties and candidates are not wasted.
It achieves all this without reducing proportionality, which is mixed member’s strong suit. Other proportional systems cannot match it
and maintain small, single representative electorates—large electorates might be fine in cities but would be grotesquely large, geographically, in areas of sparse population.
Mixed member proportional was launched on a 40-year groundswell of frustration with the crude and unjust first-past-the-post system, which for example in 1981 saw the
Labour Party win 4122 more votes but National awarded four more seats, and Social Credit win 20.65% of votes but awarded only 2.17% of the seats. Its introduction succeeded in spite of
Peter Shirtcliffe’s extravagantly orchestrated backlash. His current assault, however, could capitalise on the indignation caused by politicians, such as Winston Peters and Peter Dunne, who have shamelessly brought the system into disrepute.
After running sweetly for 13 years, notwithstanding the occasional intoxicated driver, this Rolls-Royce of proportional systems
deserves a professional tune-up before being parked up—at least the Skyhawks were
theoretically saleable.
Aotearoa’s hard-won proportional system is considerably more than half right, and runs far better than its vote-guzzling processor ever did, or could.
1 2 3, tune-up MMP !
How it works It is no more necessary to understand the intricacies of preferential voting, and the mechanics of how it can tune-up the proportional system, than it is for the cosseted passengers of the Rolls-Royce
Ghost to know how its
dual integrated chassis management systems work. However,
STV and the Horrors of How provides a once-over-lightly explanation of preference voting.
1 2 3, tune-up MMP:
Very Near to Being World’s
Best Electoral System
Ranking Not Ticking to
Tame Party Lists
Dispatching Electoral Commission
Review Room Elephants
Overdue Tune-Up will Leave MMP
Better Loved than Understood
Tactics and Polls or
Preference Voting
Mixed Member Means
Rout No Landslide
Supplementary Member in Practice is
Mixed Member Disproportional
Graduatedly and Preferentially
Fixing the Fixed Threshold
Possible Change in Six Years or
Definite Change in Three
Electoral Commission Review and
Mixed Member Misinformation
Green Party Dependant Upon
Proportional and Preferential
Party Vote Green Growth
for a Richer Aotearoa
Fascination with the
Beauty of Models
First-Past-The-Post ‘Win’
Argument for Preferential
National’s Power Sets Scene to
Retain and Change MMP
Prendergast Loss Somehow
Pinned on Preferential
Ultimately Successful
Mäori Roll Model
MMP Could be
Ninety-Nine Not Out
Out of All Proportional
Aussies Eat Their Greens
Voting For and Against and With
First-Past-the-Post
Aotearoa has
MMP Half Right
Cartoon:
Shucks Shirty
Proportional Preferential and
What’s to fix with MMP
Part of a hope-based network restoring and enjoying the Mahurangi
Editor Cimino Cole
Mahurangi Motors: ‘Yeah, no, John, the ’96 model came out with the good ol’ vote-guzzling FPP carbie—you won’t believe the economy with 1 2 3 Tune-Up MMP fitted.’
