There was more fantastic news out of Wales today, as Ceredigion County Council released the results of their consultation on whether to change the voting system used at local elections to the fairer Single Transferable Vote (STV) form of proportional representation.
An incredible 67% of respondents favoured STV over the current First Past the Post system. This means that there were huge majorities in favour in all three councils that chose to consult their residents (60.2% in Powys and 72.2% in Gwynedd). This clearly shows that voters in Ceredigion and beyond feel strongly about the need to make our elections fairer.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise. Just like in multiple councils across Wales, there were residents in Ceredigion who were unable to express their views at the ballot box because only one person stood – so no election took place. In total, 13% of seats in 2022 in Ceredigion were decided in this way, without a single vote being cast. That’s not a sign of a healthy democracy.
Looking at the consultation responses, it’s clear that Ceredigion residents don’t feel as though this system is allowing their voices to be heard.
Residents of Ceredigion want change
Furthermore, this was not limited to a small demographic – STV was the preferred system in every single age group. Young people were particularly eager for the change. In both the 16-24 and 25-44 age brackets, over 80% of respondents were in favour. They can see that proportional representation is the future.
For far too long, the First Past the Post system has wreaked havoc with our elections. It has prevented some residents from voting, and it has fostered a political environment that favours partisanship over working together.
It is plainly clear that voters in Ceredigion are fed up with this and want change. Now, it is up to councillors to make FPTP a feature of the past at the council’s vote on Thursday 14th November.
With two thirds of councillors needing to back this change for it to pass, there is an uphill struggle ahead of us. Yet over two-thirds of consultation respondents favoured the Single Transferable Vote, so we are urging councillors to follow their lead and vote for this change in similar numbers.
Add your name: All councils in Wales should adopt a fairer voting system