Fact Service May 2011

Issue 19

Voting reform rejected

More than two-thirds of those who took part in the poll opposed replacing the current method for electing MPs with the alternative vote (AV) system.

More than 19 million people took part in the referendum on whether to keep first-past-the-post system, where voters put a cross next to their preferred candidate, or replace it with AV, which sees candidates ranked in order of preference.

Overall turnout for the referendum was 42%, with 13,013,123 voters (67.9%) rejecting the proposal and 6,152,607 (32.1%) backing it.

The 'No' votes cast and turnout by region are set out in the table.

Voting reform referendum results

Region 'No' votes (million) % of total Turnout (%)
London 1.12 60.5 35.4
South East 1.95 70.3 44.3
South West 1.23 68.5 44.6
Eastern 1.30 71.0 43.1
West Midlands 1.18 71.5 39.8
East Midlands 1.01 71.3 42.8
Yorkshire and the Humber 1.04 68.7 39.9
North West 1.42 69.8 39.1
North East 0.55 72.0 38.7
Scotland 1.25 63.6 50.7
Wales 0.62 65.5 41.7
Northern Ireland 0.37 56.3 55.8

www.electoralcommission.org.uk/elections/referendums/referendum