Electoral reform vote date named

Electoral reform vote date named

A referendum on a new electoral system is expected to be held next year, the BBC has learned.



Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is due to announce that the referendum on the alternative voting system will be held on 5 May 2011.

This is the same date as English local and Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections.

A government source said holding the referendum on the same day as the elections should improve voter turnout.

Under the proposed system, voters rank candidates in order of preference and anyone getting more than 50% in the first round is elected.

If that does not happen, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and voters' second choices allocated to the remaining candidates.

This process continues until a winner emerges.

The Liberal Democrats are set to campaign for the voting system change, while the Conservatives, who back maintaining the first-past-the-post system, will oppose it.

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