SV

• How it works:

  • Voter has two preferential votes, if a candidate wins more than 50% of 1st choice votes they win, if no candidate wins 50% all but the top two are eliminated. 
  • Second preference votes for the two remaining are then counted
  • The candidate with the most first and second choice votes is elected.
• Facts

  • Used for London Mayoral elections, other elected mayors and police and crime commissioner elections. 
  • It is a majoritarian system - candidates must win a majority to be elected
  • Often ensures that one party obtains a majority of the seats in a legislature
• Stats

  • 2016: Sadiq Khan (Labour), 44% vote first round, 56% second round. 
  • 2016: Zac Goldsmith (Conservative), 35% first round, 43% second round
  • 2016: Green candidate was eliminated only 5.8% of vote
  • 2024: Sadiq Khan: 43.8% vs Susan Hall: 32.7%
• Evaluation: Advantages

  • Simple
  • Encourages moderate campaigning - gaining second choice votes - important
  • Mps would have a majority 
  • Reduces tactful voting (two choices)
  • Single member constituencies - good Mp-constituency link
• Evaluation - Disadvantages

  • Smaller parties are excluded, will not secure enough first preferences
  • If there are more than two strong candidates, voters must guess who will make it to the final round, if they guess incorrectly, their second choice vote could be wasted.