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  1. Politics
31 March 2011

How complicated is AV?

Surprisingly simple compared to first-past-the-post.

By Duncan Robinson

Critics of AV have leapt on the results of a mock election on Radio 5 Live yesterday. The poll failed to return a candidate that had the support of more than 50 per cent of the electorate. That AV would provide a candidate with the support of the majority was one of the main selling points of AV. Alas, this is not always the case.

The exercise, however, shouldn’t mask the good bits of AV, least of all its simplicity in flowchart form, as Anthony Smith demonstrates below.

AV: it’s simpler than you think.

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