Salisbury District Council Election
Just in case there is a next time.
SOME VOTERS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.

Now that the dust of the District Council Election is settled, might it be a good time to re-query the Election Process? Why should any individual Elector have more than one Vote to cast in an Election? Some have two, some three. Taking an OVERALL VIEW the person with one vote influences the composition of only 16.67% of the Council, a person with two votes 33.4% and the person with three votes 49.93% of it. (There is a Formula!) This statistic has nothing do with the number of Ward seats, but has everything to do with the number of Votes a person is entitled to cast.

The vote of an Elector in Ebble Ward should be of no less value than that of an Elector in Wilton Ward or Durrington Ward. At the moment it has a little over a third of the influence of an INDIVIDUAL Durrington Voter. Why should this be?

It is inequitable, it is wrong. The system should be changed so Each Voter has but ONE VOTE to cast.

MAYBE the larger Wards should be split up; or they could be zoned, that might easily be done by a touch on a Computer keyboard. HOWEVER if the current Ward integrity is maintained no matter ; for then Councillor(s) deemed elected, would be the first 1/ 2/ 3 past the post. Such a voting system would put the Independent Candidate on the same footing as one with Political Party Patronage. Currently an Independent Candidate polling over 50% of the whole ELECTORATE can fail to be elected, because his or her ‘Supporters’ either have to waste their other vote(s) or choose between the alternative candidates, thereby probably neutralising an original preference. The current system benefits the sponsored ‘Party Political Place Man’ to the detriment of every Independent.

When one speaks of improving the system, the ‘Powers That Be’ speak of additional cost. Such an excuse is nonsense, a one vote system would be simplicity itself to operate.

FOR INFORMATION
3 Vote Wards
St.Mark and Stratford ; Alderbury and White Parish; Amesbury East; Bemerton; Downton and Redlynch; Durrington; St.Mark and Stratford;
2 Vote Wards
Bishops Down; Bulford; Fisherton and Bemerton; Harnham East; Harnham West; Laverstock; St.Edmund and Milford; St.Martin and Milford; St.Pauls;Till Valley, Tisbury and Fovant; Upper Bourne;Western and Mere; Wilton; and Winterslow.
1Vote Wards
Amesbury West; Chalk Valley; Donhead; Ebble;Fonthill and Nadder;Lower Wyle&Woodford Valley. Have but one vote to cast.