Two-in-five would switch to “alternative vote” system, while three-in-ten would retain the “first past the post” approach.
People in Britain hold mixed views on the possibility of changing the way they cast ballots in General Elections, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
Under the current “first past the post” system, candidates win seats in the House of Commons by getting more votes than any rival in a specific constituency. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed adopting the “alternative vote” system for General Elections.
The “alternative vote” system allows voters to rank their first, second and third preference in a specific constituency so that, if no candidate gets 50 per cent of the first-choice votes, the second and third choices are added to the tallies until a candidate achieves a majority.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 2,010 British adults, 52 per cent of respondents think there should be a referendum on whether to stick with the “first past the post” system or move to an “alternative vote” system.
If a vote on the proposed change were to take place, 40 per cent of respondents would back the “alternative vote” system, while 31 per cent would cast a ballot to retain the “first past the post” system. Six per cent of respondents would not vote, and 23 per cent are undecided.
Overall, 62 per cent of Britons claim to be satisfied with the current “first past the post” system for UK General Elections, while 38 per cent are dissatisfied.
Brown has also proposed lowering the voting age to 16. An Angus Reid poll conducted in August 2009 found that 55 per cent of Britons oppose allowing 16-17 year olds to vote in General Elections.
Angus Reid Poll: Teen Vote Rejected in Britain, U.S. and Canada
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CONTACT:
Andy Morris, Research Director, London
+ 44-207-065-7272
andy.morris@angus-reid.com
