What is tactical voting?
Many crucial elections are taking place today.
Millions will today head out to cast their vote in the biggest day for UK politics since the 2019 general election.
In what is being called ‘Super Thursday’, up to 48 million will be eligible to vote across the UK with polling stations opening today from 7am and closing at 10pm.
With crucial elections such as the new Mayor of London, the national representatives of Scotland and Wales in Holyrood and the Senedd respectively, and the new MP of Hartlepool all taking place on one day, it is predicted that many will be opting to vote tactically.
But what is tactical voting, and is it legal? Here’s all you need to know.
What is tactical voting?
Tactical voting is when a voter backs a candidate from a party they wouldn’t normally support in order to stop someone else from winning.
This could happen in a constituency where two parties are in a tight race and candidates from other parties trail far behind.
As an example, if you wanted to vote Lib Dem, but lived in a Tory safe seat where your chosen party has no chance of winning, you may decide to vote Labour – the party with the most chance of competing against the Conservatives.
This avoids ‘wasting’ a vote on a party that has no chance of winning the seat and boosts the chances that the party you dislike most will lose.
The sheer complexity of this year’s elections means any kind of tactical voting guide is almost impossible.
Not only are some people filling in several ballot papers at once, the votes for each one get counted under different systems.
Is tactical voting legal?
Yes – voters are free to choose any candidate on the ballot paper, no matter what the reason is.
Parties themselves sometimes make tactical decisions not to stand in certain seats.
This is to prevent the vote splitting, which could prevent another party with similar political views from being elected.
MORE : Your complete guide to the local elections taking place today
MORE : When will we know the result of the London Mayoral and local elections?
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