Alternative Vote is a preferential plurality or majority electoral system used in single member districts. Voters indicate an ordered preference among candidates rather than selecting only one candidate. A candidate who receives an absolute majority of valid first preference votes is elected immediately. If no candidate achieves that threshold, the least successful candidate is eliminated and the votes assigned to that candidate are transferred according to the next available preferences marked on those ballots. Further eliminations and transfers occur until a candidate achieves the required absolute majority. International IDEA identifies these characteristics directly in its electoral system database.
The Alternative Vote therefore combines two distinct ideas, preferential voting and majority determination. Preferential voting describes how voters express choices, while the majority requirement determines the condition for victory. The first count examines first preferences, but those first preferences are not necessarily sufficient to decide the election. If no candidate reaches the required majority, the subsequent preferences recorded by voters become relevant. The system therefore differs from ordinary plurality voting, where the candidate with the largest vote total wins regardless of whether that total constitutes an absolute majority. It also differs from proportional representation because it normally elects one representative from each district.
The Alternative Vote counting process is sequential. First preference totals are established and checked against the majority threshold. If the threshold has not been reached, the candidate with the lowest total is removed from the contest. Ballots that were assigned to that candidate are then examined for their next valid preference among the remaining candidates. The transferred votes are added to the continuing candidates and the totals are checked again. The procedure repeats until a candidate obtains the required majority. The precise rules for ties, exhausted ballots, withdrawn candidates, and invalid markings depend on the legislation governing the election, so descriptions of the basic system should be separated from jurisdiction specific administrative rules.
A useful distinction is between first preference support and final support. A candidate can have fewer first preference votes than another candidate but ultimately win because transfers from eliminated candidates provide sufficient additional support. The result therefore reflects an aggregation of ranked preferences rather than a simple comparison of first choice totals. This does not mean that every voter necessarily has a later preference that is ultimately counted. If a ballot has no further valid preference for a continuing candidate, it can become exhausted depending on the applicable rules. Consequently, the effective denominator for the final majority can be different from the number of ballots originally cast.
The Alternative Vote is often discussed alongside Instant-Runoff Voting because the underlying counting mechanism is substantially the same in many descriptions. Both involve ranked preferences, elimination, transfer, and a final majority determination without a separate second election. The terminology used by different jurisdictions can differ, however, and the legal definition should take precedence over informal labels. The term Alternative Vote is especially associated with the formal electoral system classification used by International IDEA, which identifies it as a preferential plurality or majority system in single member districts.
The Alternative Vote should also be distinguished from Single Transferable Vote. Both use transferable preferences, but Alternative Vote normally elects one representative from a single member district, while Single Transferable Vote elects several representatives from a multi member district. In Alternative Vote, the process continues until one candidate obtains the required majority. In Single Transferable Vote, candidates can reach a quota and be elected, while surplus votes and votes from eliminated candidates can be transferred to fill multiple seats. International IDEA classifies the two systems differently because their district structures and seat allocation purposes differ.
The political and behavioural effects of the Alternative Vote depend on the surrounding electoral environment. Candidates may seek not only first preference votes but also later preferences from supporters of other candidates. Voters can express an ordered relationship among candidates rather than being limited to one selection. Parties may consequently consider both their core support and their broader acceptability. These are potential incentives rather than guaranteed effects, because actual behaviour depends on party competition, voter knowledge, candidate numbers, campaign strategy, and local political circumstances. International IDEA cautions more generally that electoral system consequences are contingent on wider institutional structures.
Alternative Vote is therefore a specific electoral system rather than merely another name for every ranked ballot. Its defining characteristics are single member districts, ranked candidate preferences, elimination of the lowest candidates when necessary, transfer of later preferences, and an absolute majority requirement for the eventual winner. It provides a way of incorporating preferences beyond the first choice while avoiding a separate second polling day. Accurate analysis must nevertheless specify the jurisdiction because ballot completion, transfer, exhaustion, tie breaking, and administrative rules can vary.
