On Wed, 16 Apr 2008, James Farrar wrote:

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:48:40 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008, Ian F. wrote:

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

Any residents of Greater London who, for whatever reason, are not yet
registered to vote and wish to do so in the forthcoming elections for
the Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly on 1st May "must
register by midnight 16th April 2008"...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...yor/article.do

An important read, this - seems it's pointless voting for anyone other
than Ken or Boris!

Well, not quite. But it's pointless using your *second* vote for anyone
other than Ken or Boris, or using it at all if your first vote is for Ken
or Boris - assuming that it's Ken and Boris who make it through to the
second round, that is.

But if it isn't, it will be Paddick and (Ken or Boris); therefore if
your first vote is for Ken or Boris and you care between the other and
Paddick (either way), you should still cast your second vote.

That's quite a good point, actually. I'd say the chances of Brian getting
through are slim, but if you have voted for Ken or Boris in first place,
you might as well use your second to choose between Brian and whoever beat
your first choice.

We should just have a complete ordered ballot and do Instant Runoff Voting
[1], really. That's actually much easier to understand from a voter's
point of view.

tom

[1] And in case any other electoral system loonies are reading this, yes,
i know IRV is flawed and that Schulze's method is better, but you'll never
get people to accept a system that only the high priests understand.

--
william gibson said that the future has already happened, it just isn't
evenly distributed. he was talking specifically about finsbury park. --
andy