In article <VRJym.14287$Xz6.11953@newsfe18.ams2>, 
guy.barry@blueyonder.co.uk (Guy Barry) wrote:

>  wrote in message
> news:x8idnWJlp6kKuVbXnZ2dnUVZ8iqdnZ2d@giganews.com...
> > In article <fkDym.284$qM1.82@newsfe19.ams2>, 
> > guy.barry@blueyonder.co.uk (Guy Barry) wrote:
> 
> > > How can any government reflect how the vast majority vote?  The vote
> > > these days is becoming more and more fragmented.
> >
> > By combinations that have voters' support being available for them to
> > indicate support for (or not). They do it quite well in Ireland.
> 
> Well I must misunderstand the Irish voting system then, because I
> thought they used STV, where each vote is used to elect a single
> candidate (though it may not be the voter's first preference).  I didn't
> realize it was possible to vote for a combination.  How does that work?

The way the voters transfer their votes have often indicated support or 
otherwise for proposed coalitions.

-- 
Cllr. Colin Rosenstiel
Council member, Electoral Reform Society
http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/
mailto:ers@electoral-reform.org.uk

wrote in message
news:jcedneNXpYSsWVbXnZ2dnUVZ8nudnZ2d@giganews.com...
> In article <VRJym.14287$Xz6.11953@newsfe18.ams2>,
> guy.barry@blueyonder.co.uk (Guy Barry) wrote:

> > Well I must misunderstand the Irish voting system then, because I
> > thought they used STV, where each vote is used to elect a single
> > candidate (though it may not be the voter's first preference).  I didn't
> > realize it was possible to vote for a combination.  How does that work?
>
> The way the voters transfer their votes have often indicated support or
> otherwise for proposed coalitions.

OK, but how does that affect the outcome of the election?  Would party A be
more inclined to enter a coalition with party B if a high proportion of its
votes had been transfers from party B?

--
Guy Barry

Guy Barry wrote:

>> > Well I must misunderstand the Irish voting system then, because I
>> > thought they used STV, where each vote is used to elect a single
>> > candidate (though it may not be the voter's first preference).  I 
>> > didn't
>> > realize it was possible to vote for a combination.  How does that work?

>> The way the voters transfer their votes have often indicated support or
>> otherwise for proposed coalitions.

> OK, but how does that affect the outcome of the election?  Would party A 
> be
> more inclined to enter a coalition with party B if a high proportion of 
> its
> votes had been transfers from party B?

Parties will sometimes come to agreements before the election to fight the 
election proposing coalition and urge transfers in the belief it will 
strengthen both parties. At other times they won't rule out coalition but 
won't enter pre-election arrangements, partially to leave their options open 
on both sides, partially because of internal debate. Labour has long had 
internal disputes over coalitionism but these days it's about tactics and 
which particular parties, not over whether to do it at all. Note that in the 
run up to the last election the Greens declined to join the Fine Gael-Labour 
agreement and indeed after the election instead went into goverment with 
Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats (and rapidly discovered how 
difficult being in government is).