A small but significant change to the First Past the Post system
now in use would be the following:
Instead of the current practice of just selecting the one candidate
on the ballot perhaps you could consider an approval rating system
where the voter marks Favour or Oppose for each of the candidates
on the ballot. Each candidate receives one point for each ballot
that Favours him/her and no points for each ballot that Opposes
him/her. Unclear ballot selections will default to Oppose. The
points for each candidate are totalled and divided by the total
number of valid ballots thereby arriving at an approval rating. The
candidate wins the seat if he/she satisfies two conditions: 1)
He/she has the highest approval rating of the candidates; and 2)
He/she has an approval rating greater than or equal to 50%.
This voting method gives all candidates an equal chance of election
and eliminates vote-splitting and strategic voting. It ensures and
endorses an elected candidate that is acceptable to the majority of
the constituents who voted. Furthermore, it allows dissenters the
opportunity to express their contempt for the democratic system by
not favouring any of the candidates. If no candidate can achieve
50% then the seat will remain vacant until a by-election with a new
slate of candidates.
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