Hackney campaigners want a fairer vote

The Alternative Vote - which will be put to the public in a national referendum on Thursday May 5 - lets you “follow your heart” when it comes to voting for your MP.

Hackney’s Yes to Fairer Votes campaigners were getting people in the Valentine’s mood in Broadway Market.

Local campaigners reminded London Fields shoppers on Saturday April 12 that the Alternative Vote - which will be put to the public in a national referendum on Thursday May 5 - lets you “follow your heart” when it comes to voting for your MP.

The proposed new AV voting system eliminates the need for tactical voting by allowing voters to put who they really want first, and then rank the others in order of preference.

This means that voters would be able to pick the person they really want, but would also have the chance to pick second and third choices in case their first choice doesn’t win.

Campaign volunteer Francis Gaskin who lives in Hackney Road, said: “We think it’s time to kiss goodbye to our worn out old voting system.

“At election time, most of us have to choose between our heads and our hearts and we are forced to vote tactically against a party, rather than backing the candidate we’ve really fallen for.

“The new electoral system which will be put to the voters in a referendum will let us follow our hearts when it comes to voting.

“It will be a simple change, but will make a big difference.”