Voting survey highlights folly of IWV proposals
YOUR Fantasy Election online voting survey highlights (as I am sure you intended) the folly of asking the island population to select from 80 candidates, the vast majority you have never heard of, and most of the rest you have heard the name but do not know their capabilities. Deputies plough through countless pages of Billets, but what islander is going to read 80 manifestos and make a choice.
And what of excellent candidates who are standing for the first time – who is going to vote for them when no one has ever heard of them?
Of course, there are the hustings, but who is going to listen attentively to the views and policies of 80 persons (at numerous different meetings).
With the present system you know the qualities of your parish candidates and choose the best, trusting the other intelligent voters in the other parishes also to choose the best among those they are familiar with.
Politics will be reduced to marketing, where the most advertised sells most. 'It must be good, I've seen it on television'.
I am sure your survey will prove my point.
JOHN PROUT
j.proutgsy@cwgsy.net
