FPTP vs MMP

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Oct 09, 2007 at 09:06:35AM -0400, Ian Petersen wrote:
> I realized, after all the recent discussion this thread generated,
> that I have another reason for voting for MMP: I think the current
> system was designed for one use but is actually being used for
> another.  What I mean is, I think most people vote for a party, but
> the system seems to have been designed for people to vote for a
> candidate.  You may disagree with either or both parts of that
> sentence--my wife doesn't think the majority of voters are voting for
> a party, but the few people I've actually talked to about it agree
> with me so I assume I might be on to something.
> 
> I think the existing system was designed for vote-for-a-candidate for
> a number of reasons, but the most obvious one is that the ballot
> places greater emphasis on the individual candidates' names than on
> their parties (and my family actually told me the parties aren't even
> listed, which conflicts with my memory of the last election, but
> either way, my point stands).  I tend to vote for or against the
> leaders of a party and I don't really know or care what my local
> candidate says or thinks because I assume that he or she will be
> following the party line and that my riding will be served within the
> limits of my local candidate's party affiliation.

The polling station will have a list of which parties the candidates are
part of, but it is not on the ballot as far as I know (I haven't seen
one myself).

> If you agree with what I've said so far, then I think you can see that
> the existing system doesn't seem to be well-designed for the purpose
> to which the electorate keep putting it.  On the other hand, MMP
> _does_ fit the job pretty well--we'll explicitly vote for a party and,
> if you happen to think one of your local candidates is likely to work
> harder for your riding than all others, you can choose the best
> candidate, too.

It seems many people are affraid of actually getting what they have been
trying to get all along.

--
Len Sorensen
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