Broadcaster and commentator Peter Williams is urging New Zealand councils to drop the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system and revert to a simple “most votes wins” model.
Williams argued that STV’s complexity undermines public confidence and leads to outcomes that many voters find difficult to understand.
Williams raised the issue after the Dunedin City Council by-election, in which former mayor Aaron Hawkins received the most first-preference votes but was ultimately defeated under the STV system.
Hawkins secured 7,740 first-preference votes, ahead of Jo Galer on 5,527, but Galer went on to win after preferences from eliminated candidates were redistributed.
Williams argued that many voters would naturally expect the candidate with the most initial support to be declared the winner.
At the heart of Williams’ argument is not that STV is inherently unfair but that it is overly complex for ordinary voters to easily understand.
He pointed out that even the government’s official STV website describes the counting process as “too complex to be done by hand,” requiring specialised software since “parts of votes are transferred.”
Williams also stressed that democratic systems are most effective when results are clear and easy to understand.
“Simplicity is always the best answer to any problem,” he said.
“If we have an easy-to-understand system whereby he or she with the most votes is the winner, then that winner can easily be voted in or out in three years.”
He said STV supporters argue it is fairer, as it reduces the likelihood of a single bloc dominating elections and ensures successful candidates have wider support across the electorate.
However, he argued that any electoral system dependent on complex computer calculations and fractional vote transfers risks appearing opaque to the public.
Williams called on all local authorities to revert to First Past the Post voting in future local body elections.