Interesting Links for 07-05-2022

[andrewducker]

1. Edinburgh council elections 2022: Coalition talks this weekend

(tags:politics UK Edinburgh Scotland )

2. Edinburgh council elections 2022: How 'alphabet effect' defeated councillor for second time

(tags:Edinburgh names voting )

Comments

Munn.

[rhythmaning]

I get the alphabet problem but there are several wards where a party - often the SNP - gets three councillors, so maybe it's not as big a problem as the article suggests.

Some parties campaign specifically to that effect, with literature in different parts of the ward directing voters to vote 1 or 2 for different candidates in the hope that they balance out.

It could just be that the voters or the ward campaigners just didn't line him much.

(That said, I was very glad that my preferred candidate was the first in the list. It made him stand out, and I'm sure there are some lazy voters who may just rich the first box they see. [A tick is accepted if there's just one vote.])

Re: Munn.

[movingfinger]

I don't see a direct causation for the alphabet effect in the article.

It is surprising that the names aren't randomized. They do that everywhere I have been voting for years, means one has to pay attention.

[original_aj]

1: Waiting with bated breath to see what comes out of the dicussions - but an SNP/Green coalition with other allies on an issue by issue basis might well be a good thing.

2: Given it's a known thing, you'd think if they care that much they would arrange their candidates so their most preferred is alphabetically first.