Lessons from the midterms for the AV referendum

Amid all the excitement of the US midterms, a small, local ballot took place which has important lessons for the UK’s referendum on the Alternative Vote – due to take place six months on Friday.

Like us, America uses the straightforward first-past-the-post voting system for its thousands of elected offices – from local school boards and sheriffs to races for governors’ mansions and the White House itself.

Their well-established primary system also gives voters a direct say in who the candidates should be – taking power away from the parties and making politicians more responsive to the demands of their local electorate.

Because US politics is dominated by two parties, winning candidates are generally guaranteed to have garnered a large share of the vote. In some states, however, a run-off election is held between the top two candidates if no one obtained 50 per cent of the votes in the first round.