A referendum was held on 5 May 2011 to decide
on the question below:
'At present, the UK uses the 'first past the post'
system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the
'Alternative Vote' system be used instead?'
|
AV referendum result in Suffolk Coastal: Yes -
13,452 (28.64%). No - 33,524 (71.36%)
National result: Yes - 6,152,607
(32.10%). No - 13,013,123 (67.90%)
|
The referendum was held at the same time as the scheduled
district, town and parish council elections.
More the about the two voting systems
The Electoral Commission produced a booklet, which was sent to
every household, that explained the current 'first past the post'
voting system, the 'Alternative Vote' system and how to take part
in the referendum:
You can also
watch a video (new window) featuring 'Victor
the Vote Counter' who explains the difference between the two
voting systems:
Who could vote in the referendum?
You could vote in the referendum and the local elections if you
are registered to vote, were 18 or over on 5 May 2011 and are:
- a British citizen, or
- a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or
- a citizen of the Irish Republic.
British citizens living overseas couldn’t vote in local
elections. However, they could vote in the referendum.
Citizens of other European Union countries registered to vote in
the UK could vote in the local elections. However they couldn't
vote in the referendum.
Referendum public notices