Tactical voting has hit the headlines once again in the build-up to the general election. According to a new YouGov study, one in five voters (22 per cent) say they will be using the tactic on 4 July. “Tactical voting” has been a common phrase on the lips of politicians and newsreaders for a long time - but why is everyone talking about it, and what does it actually mean? In this episode of Decomplicated, we take a look at how tactical voting works - and how it could be a powerful tool in elections.
That statement is true and explains why we should support replacing FPTP, but doesn’t mean you shouldn’t vote tactically. Hating the system is reasonable, but playing the system is necessary whilst it’s in place. Otherwise you’re just weakening support for replacing it.
Note that I don’t mean tactical voting is always the best option, just that it’s not a tool you should discard entirely, at some point your tactical vote could get FPTP replaced, so don’t be too uncompromising.