My letter in The Independent on the No2AV myths

Here’s the full version of the letter from me on electoral reform that The Independent published today (they edited down the middle paragraph slightly):

The biggest problem with the claim that introducing AV will require expensive voting machines (report, 24 February) is that it is simply not true. Though the No campaign have been making the claim repeatedly, both the government and the Electoral Commission have confirmed that there are no such plans.

Elections using preferential vote transfers have been regularly carried out in Britain without counting machines, including for many mayors around the UK. The experience of AV in other countries is no different – year in, year out, AV elections are run successfully without needing counting machines.

It reveals the weakness of the No campaign that they claim as a fact something which is so obviously not required, not planned and won’t happen.

Yours etc.