If you have system like first past the post then don’t get upset if voters try to game it

Poll finds twice as many saying they’ll vote tactically

The above poll by BMG for the Electoral Reform Society, is striking because when exactly the same question was asked by the same pollster before GE2015 just 9% said they were ready to vote tactically.

The total of 200% seems high but could reflect partly UKIP not standing in many seats and also the situation facing the LDs is nothing like it was at the end of the coalition. Far fewer LAB voters were ready to switch to the yellows to stop the blues which made it easier for Cameron’s Tories to pick up 27 LD held seats.

Quite what the impact will be like this time is hard to guess like all matters in relation to this election. It is in these final few days that many decisions like his will be made. We might see vote swapping which is what I did last time and will do so on Thursday. My vote will be in Twickenham while I’ll be voting in Bedford according to what the person there wants me to do.

My overall sense is that there’s no great desire out there to give TMay the landslide that looked likely just a couple of weeks ago.

Tactical voting looks set to take place in all sorts of ways. In the 56 seats the SNP is defending in Scotland the unionist party that looks best able to win might benefit. Elsewhere it could the the standard anti-CON or anti LAB factors that determine the votes.

Lots of polls due out overnight and I’ll put a thread up later.

Mike Smithson

Follow @MSmithsonPB



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