THE ALTERNATE VOTE. 



371 



any further steps being- necessary. But if no applicant gets this 

 absolute majority, all the candidates who secure the average or 

 more than the average are excluded ; their first preference votes 

 are given to the contmuing candidates according to the marking 

 of the alternate votes, and in the next scrutiny their names are 

 passed over as non-existent. 



In this table we have the 

 expression of all the prefer- 

 ences of eleven selectors for 

 the first eight applicants, out 

 of a larger number. The sum 

 of all the preferences is 396 ; 

 this divided by 8 gives an 

 average 49 J. A, C, D, E, F 

 are above the average, and 

 are excluded, leaving B, G, H 

 as the continuing applicants, 

 and their new actual value 

 is marked in the figures to 

 the right hand side of each 

 space, the addition of these gave B 19, G 24, H 23. The two 

 latter being above the average are thrown out and B is elected. 



In this particular case at the second scrutiny B has 7 first 

 votes, 7 out of II, an absolute majority, so B's election might 

 have been declared without considering any other votes (23). 



This method seems complicated, but Xanson makes various 

 practical suggestions towards making its application as easy as 

 possible, even in the case of Parliamentary Elections in large 

 constituencies. 



29. It is the only method of securing a correct result with the 

 Alternate Vote, the adoption of which the Report of the Royal 

 Commission on Electoral Systems recommends. 



30. The transfer and the counting of votes at a Parliamentary 

 election under the transferable vote, where more than two mem- 

 bers have to be elected, seems to me simpler ; and this is one 

 slight additional argument to the many strong ones in its favour, 

 which the Report of the Royal Commission* contains, and which 

 influenced Lord Lochee to add to it a note, in which he expresses 

 the opinion, that the transferable vote is not only practicable, but 

 is the simplest and best means of securing to elected legislative 

 bodies a more fully representative character. He goes on to say : 



" Under our present system a minority of electors may seat a 

 majority of legislators. A small minority may elect a large majority. 

 Considerable sections of the electorate may have no representation 

 at all. It is impossible to say that such a system has a fully repre- 

 sentative character, or to denv that the transferable vote would 

 remove or greatly modify its defects." 



31. This, however, is beside the present question, we are con- 

 sidering the Alternate Vote, and the selection of one member or 

 one official, a matter not only of importance in three-cornered 



*igio. Cd. 5163. 



