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It’s time to say Yes to fairer votes

The decisions made by politicians affect all of our lives, from where the cuts to our public services fall to the stability of the job market. Currently under First-Past-the-Post, MPs can get elected with less than 30% of our votes and at present two out three MPs in the UK don't have the majority of voters on their side. Quite simply this means most of us have an MP that we and most of our neighbours voted against. This is completely undemocratic.

One of the many problems with First-Past-the-Post, is that votes for any marginal party are affectively wasted, as if your preferred candidate comes last you then have no say over who actually gets in. This means millions of us feel forced into tactical voting come election time, voting to keep someone out rather than to get the person we really want in.

The Alternative Vote (AV) means all candidates have to aim to get 50% of the vote. You can rank your preferences in order and if your first choice can't win you can still have a say. This simple change to the system will give voters a lot more control and will force politicians to work harder to earn and keep our support. They will have to speak to all of us and make sure that their policies reach out to every corner of their constituency, rather than being able to relax in a safe seat and rely on their core vote to stay in power. After all, why should our MPs have a job for life when the rest of us don’t?

First past the post has allowed our MPs to become out-of-touch with voters, as the expenses scandal showed. It has resulted in a culture of negative campaigning where MPs criticise each other rather than actually saying what they plan to do. It has forced us into tactical voting and has seen millions of us ignored come election time because we do not live in a marginal seat so our vote simply does not count.

On May 6 we get a once in a lifetime opportunity to change all of this. By voting Yes! to the Alternative Vote (AV) in the referendum in may we finally have a real opportunity to change things for the better.

Voting for AV means:
• Voters have a stronger voice
• MPs will have to work harder to get and stay elected
• Less chance of MPs having jobs for life
• And end to negative campaigning and tactical voting.

It’s time to say Yes! to fairer votes. Join us at www.yestofairervotes.org follow us @YesInMay or friend us at YES to Fairer Votes.
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