Alternative_vote_top-up.mw

The '''Alternative Vote Plus''' (AV ) or '''Alternative Vote Top-up''' is a [[voting system]] intended for use in elections to an assembly or legislature. Under AV  most candidates are elected from single member constituencies under the [[Alternative Vote]] system while a small number of candidates are elected under the [[party-list_proportional_representation|regional list system]]. AV  is not a [[parallel|parallel voting system]]. Rather, as occurs under the [[Additional Member System]] (AMS), under AV  seats filled from regional lists are so allocated as to off-set the disproportionality created by the single seat constituencies and to achieve a measure of [[proportional representation]]. 

AV  may be considered a variant of AMS. However, unlike most versions of AMS, AV  is not designed to deliver a high level of proportional representation. Rather, under AV  the number of candidates elected from regional lists is kept to a relatively small "top up" in order to grant an in-built electoral advantage to larger parties. AV  also differs from most versions of AMS in that the constituency seats are elected by means of the Alternative Vote rather than the [[First past the post|Simple Plurality]] ('First past the post') system.

AV  was invented by the 1998 Jenkins Commission, which recommended it as a system for use in United Kingdom general elections, but no action has yet been taken on that committee's recommendations. The Commission described the system as a "limited" form of AMS aimed at achieving a balance between the requirements of "broad proportionality" and "stable government".


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[[Category:Multi-winner voting systems]]