Last Saturday, local campaigners took to Cornmarket Street in Oxford, handing out Valentine’s Day cards that urged people to “follow their hearts” and back the Alternative Vote, which would allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference.
The Yes To Fairer Votes campaign hopes to persuade people to vote “Yes” in the referendum on adopting AV on 5th May, by claiming that it would eliminate the need for tactical voting.
Andrew Mell, a campaigner and Oxford University student, cited evidence that showed that 20% of people in the South East feel forced to vote tactically in elections.
He said, “With AV we’ll never have to choose between our heads and our hearts again.”
The Lord Mayor of Oxford, John Goddard, joined the campaigners to voice his support for a system which he believes, “will give voters greater influence over their MP.”
The Yes To Fairer Votes Oxfordshire group have said that will campaign up until the 5th May, with weekly street stalls across the county. A phone bank was launched this week to “get in contact with as many voters as possible.”
Zoe Tyndall, one of the phone bank organisers, said “Oxfordshire is a vast area to cover and we don’t have the money or the established organisation of the political parties.” She added that calling voters was “a lot more fun that stuffing envelopes”.
Mell told Cherwell, “We’re not taking anything for granted…this is going to be a very close campaign.”
