Comments for Voter Power Index

Comment on The Independent’s leading article: This historic opportunity must not be missed by income tax calculator

income tax calculator — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:49:46 +0000

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Comment on The Independent’s leading article: This historic opportunity must not be missed by Chrosson

Chrosson — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:07:18 +0000

Your resport, while well hidden in the website, is quite good. Your layman term explanation on the frontend of the website is poor (and I feel is somewhat misleading). Personally, I would include a sentence or two explaining that the “Voter Power Index” (impressive name, congrats) boils down to a measure of the efficiency of the voting system in each constituency. End of point 1.
While I concede your argument is valid for a national view, at a local level (which is where your site is pitched at) is not. At present you seem (to me) to have spun it to create maximum outrage – i.e. a Lib supporter in a constituency where Tory/Lab have won could quite easily be mislead into thinking “Well, what chance did we have, my vote was worthless against all those Tory/Lab supporters” while failing to realise that their vote was just as valuable as anyone elses *within their constituency*. You don't really explicitly clarify this.

The point of PR is to remove constituency (first to the post) voting, hence your website should be making clear what the comparison actually is i.e. a localised election where you select the person you think will represent your constituency best but have less control VS a PR system where you vote nationally and have no say who then gets what once the votes are counted. Some people have issues with their local MPs but support the party as a whole, hence I feel the distinction is important.

This probably hasn't come across too well, but I plan to do a more detailed analysis of your report in time and hopefully I will be more coherent next time.

Comment on Mapping the Voter Power Index by Jon, a Brit in Euroland

Jon, a Brit in Euroland — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:03:26 +0000

What about GIVING THE VOTE to expatriate Brits. They are presently disenfranchised, entirely. They deserve the right to vote as they carry the nationality, and often represent, in a certain way, the British way of life abroad.

There would have to be a certain number of seats allocated to them, perhaps by region where they live, and this would allow them to demonstrate the worldwide commitment of this large group of people to the Home Country? to which their and their children are generally committed.

Any comments….?

Comment on Mapping the Voter Power Index by dean99999999

dean99999999 — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:54:20 +0000

Typical trash thought does nothing but encourage voter apathy. All votes count if you factor in those that failed to vote you would realise that in fact all seats can become marginal. What is needed is not negative PR such as this but positive messages about getting out there and voting.

This sort on press does nothing to address the problem of voter apathy merely encourages it.

Comment on Even if you have no electoral power, vote on Thursday by Jonny

Jonny — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:32:02 +0000

Luckily it's a bit more complicated than that this year – with electoral reform on the cards, voting against your 'safe' party provides more ammunition for proportional representation. Also, with the likelihood of a second election soon relatively high, reducing your necessary swing will make your constituency a higher target for campaigning by the smaller parties (and increase that so-called 'voter power index').

Your vote DOES count for a little more than just picking the Prime Minister and your MP. Proportional representation might not determine the PM but it is picked up on by the media and politicians, and may have more power in holding governments to account than we give it credit for. So it's important to vote – even if it's a spoiled ballot – to give an accurate picture of this country's interests. I think this site should be saying that more explicitly.

Comment on Even if you have no electoral power, vote on Thursday by laptop batteries

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Comment on Even if you have no electoral power, vote on Thursday by tomedwards

tomedwards — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:37:46 +0000

Seriously, this post should not be entitled 'Even if you have no electoral power…' It should be entitled 'Because you have no electoral power…' Those in a safe seat simply need power in numbers, it's that simple, get the hell out and vote, if enough of you do, you're candidate will win. Simple.

Comment on Even if you have no electoral power, vote on Thursday by Harry Fear

Harry Fear — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:10:04 +0000

Great article. Hopefully the minority will indeed end up voting.

Comment on Mapping the Voter Power Index by Jonathan Simcock

Jonathan Simcock — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:41:02 +0000

Would it be possible, through the redrawing of electoral bounderies to make constituencies, especially those which are currently safe seats, into marginals?

Comment on The Ultimate Postcode Lottery by johnbrockbank

johnbrockbank — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:38:53 +0000

I have voted in every single local authority, county council, general, election and all by elections since 1964. I have never voted for any candidate who has come higher than third. This time our constituency is a new one and fior the first time there is a small chance that my party will come second but if as expected the Lioberal democrats do well, my party will once again come third.

OK, so that happens because I am fairly well off and live in staunch Conservative areas.

My voting has always been a waste of time.

More seriously, we hae been ruled over for my whole life by a party which most people have voted against. This can not be a healthy situation for a democracy.

What is going to happen now is that the Conservaives will win and if they have not an absolute majority they will just call another election as soon as they are far enough ahead in the polls - that ill be later this year if their lead is big enough and in a couple of years if they make boundary changes first.