LONDON, May 6 (UPI) -- A proposal to change Britain's "first past the post" voting system to an "instant runoff" lost 2-1, officials said Friday.
The defeat of the referendum was another blow to the Liberal Democrats, The Guardian reported. About 68 percent of those who voted rejected the Alternative Vote plan.
Under the current system, candidates with the most votes win, even if they fall far short of a majority. The "instant runoff" system allows voters to list candidates by order of preference.
"Tonight's result is an emphatic victory, a clear signal from every part of the country that people want to keep our simple, fair and effective system for electing MPs," said Matthew Elliot, who headed the "No to AV" campaign group. "I believe this result settles the debate over changing our electoral system for another generation."
Chris Huhne, the energy secretary and a Liberal Democratic leader, said the party had to respect the results. But he suggested the vote could not be read as a total rejection of proportional representation because of the way it was framed on the ballot.
