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1. In the event that a voter’s primary preference for a candidate fails to win, and
his/her second or third preference however become victorious, at least the voter
had consciously and intentionally voted for a suitable leader – the eventual
winner.
2. Unlike the previous FPP system whereby the winner could get away with a very
small percentage of the voting population, LPV now ensures that a winner is
declared only after a 50%+1 absolute majority determination.
3. In order to presumably expedite the counting process, elimination commences
after no winner is determined at the conclusion of the count on first preferences.
With LPV, voters were assured that all three preferences carry the same weight.
However, I suggest that voters nationwide were short changed. As is elsewhere,
Kiriwina-Goodenough eligible voters were required to select three candidates each for
the two seats; the Kiriwina-Goodenough Open seat and the Milne Bay Regional seat.
This sounded simple enough, and yet voters naturally wanted to know more.
There was some degree of awareness conducted by the local officers particularly the
Council Ward Recorders. My own assessment of the situation prior to the polling period
was that majority of the voters were unsure, to some degree confused, and had by then
developed some measure of indifference and ambivalence towards the new electoral
method in LPV.
By and large, voters were most comfortable with their primary choice but not for the
second and third, nor do they care presumably due to ignorance. Worse was the level of
negligence and indifference accorded to candidates from the regional seat (the other seat)
whose consideration was in fact pushed to the periphery. This was partly due to lack of
ensconced kinship and trading networks and allegiances on Kiriwina. The average voter
had in essence comfortably settled with the previous voting method of a single candidate
– the choicest. The ease in manouvre from better endowed candidates to entice votes with
cash and material goods only worsened the deteriorating ability of voters to consciously
exercise their preferences. ‘Primary vote would do, the rest are either secondary or,
simply immaterial.’ seemed to be the prevailing logic among voters. 30
I made it a point to include LPV awareness in my campaign presentations for all the
villages visited. This was much appreciated and in raising their concerns, voters
requested for assistance and further elaboration on the voting process. I assured them that
the task would be much easier if they were to ignore the counting aspect of LPV, which is
complex enough. Let the counting officials worry about that instead voters should
concentrate on choosing only three candidates for each of the two seats. And that each
seat should have those chosen candidates entered in the order of preference.
An Electoral Miscarriage
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