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There is a fairer alternative to AV: mandatory voting. Eighteen western democracies use it and the principle of citizens being required to vote in return for all the benefits they enjoy – education, health, security, pensions etc – is accepted without protest. It ensures that first past the post delivers the most preferred candidate without second or third choices usurping the will of the majority.
Paul Barry
North Wingfield, Derbyshire
• AV could help a well respected sitting MP fighting against a national swing. Under first past the post, the member's good record usually counts for little; but under AV, a strong successful appeal for second preferences could turn the tide. Sitting MPs should welcome it.
Tony Ward
Loughborough, Leicestershire
• AV is a form of "exhaustive ballot". If an exhaustive ballot is thought appropriate by the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems for electing their leaders, then it must be appropriate for electing MPs.
Peter Emery
Macclesfield, Cheshire
• Do we really care what voting system we use? Wouldn't it be just fine, FPTP, AV, STV or whatever, if we could be sure that those elected were people of integrity, open and honest in their dealings with us, the electorate, and with each other, who strove to carry out their election manifesto pledges, and who apologised for their mistakes and explained the reasons for their failures to do what they said they would do?
Deborah Macintyre
Barmouth, Gwynedd
• True that under AV the winner will often not be the candidate that the largest number of voters positively prefer, but it will always be the one that the largest number are relatively happy to put up with – which should suit us well since voters are generally clearer about what we don't want than about what we do.
John Bird
London
• Will an AV win put the TV pundits out of a job? Straw polls will be useless. And the swingometers will be going awry as the vote leaders change throughout the night. So, a Yes vote will be of some use!
Terry Duncan
Bridlington, East Yorkshire
