Graeme Edgeler has done a really good write up over at Public Address on the ins and outs of STV. I’m never entirely sure why it confuses people, but as a system it does seem to get the better of even some of the most politically active people about town.
Cards on the table, I am a big fan of STV and would even love to see it replace MMP with multi-member electorates. Porirua City Council is a great example of the representation the system can provide – the youngest city in the country has the youngest mayor and councillor while also featuring one of the oldest councillors as well as solid PI and Maori representation along with middle class white males.
You can read more about the system in detail over on Edgleler’s blog, but the one point I wanted to touch on was that all you need to keep in mind is that your ‘1’ vote in each category is what matters most. That is the vote that is guaranteed to matter and be counted – it is first preferences that should matter most to candidates.
Basically, if you don’t get enough 1’s you risk being out of the game early on.
There is probably nothing more frustrating for a candidate to hear than, ‘oh I voted for you, I gave you my 3 and [insert name of sure bet] my 1’… as chances are they never got to distributing their other preferences. Your other preferences do count along the way, but make no mistake, if you want to help get someone elected, then it is the 1 that counts.
WCC Watch 
Very sensible comments, as someone who led two STV campaigns for Wellington, couldn’t agree more. It is a fairer system and I think it would be good if adopted nationally so that every MP could represent an electorate. As I understand it though STV doesn’t give as proportionate results as MMP so it does have its drawbacks.
Agree totally with these comments. There is only one vote under STV and that is your ‘1’ – 2nds, 3rds etc are important but only indicate preference transfers or whole or partial votes.
I think I should point out that what is most important in an STV election isn’t necessarily the “1”, but the order. What mattered at the last WCC Mayoral election was the number of people who ranked Celia Wade-Brown higher than Kerry Prendergast, it didn’t matter that Prendergast got more 1’s. There will presumably be two or three candidates who have a serious chance in the WCC Mayoral election. The relative rankings of these people will be what decides the result.