RCV Survey and Third Party Voting Trends in Trinidad and Tobago - Please fill out First
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The following explanation is an excerpt from fairvote.org
How RCV Works
as easy as 1, 2, 3...
Ranked choice voting (RCV) describes voting systems that allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, and then uses those rankings to elect candidates who best represent their constituents.
RCV is straightforward for voters: rank candidates in order of choice. Voters can rank as many candidates as they want, without fear that ranking others will hurt the chances of their favorite candidate.
Instant Runoff Voting (IRV)
For a single office, like for Prime Minister, RCV helps to elect a candidate who reflects a majority of voters in a single election even when several viable candidates are in the race. It does this by counting the votes in rounds.
Voters pick a first-choice candidate and have the option to rank backup candidates in order of their choice: second, third, and so on. If a candidate receives more than half of the first choices, that candidate wins, just like in any other election. However, if there is no majority winner after counting first choices, the race is decided by an "instant runoff." The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who picked that candidate as ‘number 1’ will have their votes count for their next choice. This process continues until a candidate wins with more than half of the votes.
“We are really settling on ranked-choice voting as the most promising reform to democratize and depolarize our politics,” says Larry Diamond, the former director of Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. “I think it’s not only here to stay but that it’s gaining support"
Interesting idea but trinis don't support anything
Further Reading....
It has become clear that many of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago have lost faith in the current two party system and have either resigned to voting for the lesser of two evils or abstaining from voting altogether.
Official statistics show that there has only been one viable third party since the 1991 elections. However, many believed this split the supporting vote (Figure 1) as the two runners up formed a coalition and completely destroyed the 2007 election winner in the following 2010 elections (Figure 3).
Figure 1 below shows that outside of the 2007 elections, third parties have zero impact on our elections
Figure 1: The blue line shows the percentage of votes cast that the winner received to win the elections
The orange line shows the percentage of votes cast that the first runner up received.
The yellow line shows the percentage of votes cast that the second runner up (Third Party) received.
Figure 2 below shows that the number of people that do not vote is normally equal to or greater than the number of people that voted for the winning party. This is what you call a silent majority.
Figure 2: The blue line shows the percentage of eligible voters that voted for the winning party.
The green line shows the number of eligible voters that abstained from voting since 1990.
Figure 3 shows just how significant this silent majority is when compared to the two leading political parties in Trinidad and Tobago. It also shows the trend of swing voters as we oscillate between the two parties trying to chose the lesser of two evils. Notice how consistent the absentee vote is in comparison. This indicates that little has changes in true representation of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
Figure 3: The red line shows the percentage of eligible voters that voted for PNM.
The yellow line shows the percentage of eligible voters that voted for UNC.
The blue line shows the percentage of eligible voters that abstained from voting since 1991.
How to Help
Step 1.
First we need to quantify the issue and identify the solution. We've heard people complain that nobody wants to support the major political parties while also hearing that everybody is likely a die hard supporter. This is obviously not possible so we need to first find out where the lines are actually drawn. If you have not done so as yet, please fill out our online survey
Step 2.
Secondly, we need to establish a demand for this solution before we can approach the lawyers, policy makers and political representatives that we need to get the ball rolling on this issue. Sign our online petition to show your support if you have not done so already.
Step 3.
Join the discussion and help us get the word out.
Sign up for a free account on this website and join the discussion. We would love to hear from you.
Share this page with all your friends. Post to facebook, whatsapp etc. Encourage them to fill out the survey, sign the petition and continue to share the same.
Instant Runoff Ranked Choice Voting is good for all of us. It does not matter who you support. Aren't you tired of being ruled by a minority party?