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Why the Alternative Vote is no Alternative

The Alternative Vote is a voting system proposed by some as a "fix" for elections in Canada. It's also known as Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), ranked choice voting, or preferential voting in single-member districts or ridings.

The Alternative Vote doesn't address the main problem with our current winner-take-all voting system: the results are not accurate to the way electors vote. More than just distorted results because of a lack of proportionality, it has many other faults - it's just another winner-take-all system that encourages strategic voting, denies equal representation for each voter, and distracts from the goal of making every vote count.

Many of the problems with the Alternative Vote are documented on this site. The same problems would be present at the municipal or provincial levels, and supporting AV there would be the thin of the wedge for spreading AV to other levels of government and derailing real reforms.

Why replace one dysfunctional voting system with another? Canadians should have equal and effective votes that actually count towards electing a representative of their choice...regardless of their political belief or place of residence. They won't get that with the Alternative Vote.

The Alternative Vote will deny Canadians the representation they want and deserve. Find out more about AV and better alternatives here.