No in the Alternative Vote System it’s the same as what we have now, MPs are listed in advance of the vote and we vote for the candidate, not the party. In the Alternative Vote System we (the voter) get to make a second, third and fourth… choice and if our first choice candidate gets least votes, our vote now goes to our 2nd choice candidate, if he/she has least votes our vote goes to our 3rd choice, this continues until one candidate has over 50% of the vote.
It does not necessarily result in fringe parties (like the BNP) gaining seats. I would say it would possibly help the Lib Dems more than any other party.
In PR you are kind of right. In our EU elections if an MEP gives up his seat the party picks a replacement. For example in the general election if Nick Griffin (BNP leader and current EU MEP) won a seat (became an MP) he’d have to give up his EU seat (can’t be an MP and MEP now). The party would choose who would take his place.
With AV it’s not like that though, if an MP stands down or dies it’s a by-election and a new vote to determine who takes the seat.
David
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