Despite the worst fears of many electoral reformers, most of the decisions at the ERS’s formal AGM and informal Annual Meeting on 3 September were sensible and none was totally unacceptable. Members strongly confirmed their support for preferential voting generally and for STV in particular.

A special resolution to remove STV from the Society’s objects was defeated comfortably.

Three resolutions expressing support for STV were all passed overwhelmingly.

A resolution to bring the Mission Statement more into line with the Society’s objects, by giving STV a little more prominence, was narrowly defeated at the meeting but passed decisively by post.

A resolution to campaign for the preferential AV, instead of the rather silly SV, to be used in elections for mayors and police commissioners was also passed overwhelmingly.

Two resolutions in favour of direct democracy were both defeated, one of them decisively. It would have been a contradiction for an organization dedicated to improve representative democracy to support direct democracy.

The only ambivalent resolution passed was one that called for an “Annual March for Greater Democracy”. This could be quite a good idea if - a big “if” - one could persuade enough people to participate to make an impression, but the main problem will probably be in the detail. There have been suggestions that the marches could be for all sorts of objectives that some people think are good democratic causes. Indeed the proposer of the resolution has suggested that the ERS Council should choose the issue(s) to promote each year.

This could dissipate the ERS’s resources and split the Society. For example, although we are all supposed to support STV and I am sure every one of us supports PR, we don’t all support establishing English regional assemblies, lowering the voting age or holding a referendum on leaving the EU each of which, to many, is essential to democracy. Of course, some members may support one or two of these but not all three while others would oppose all three. However, the march may be a good idea for an organization with broader aims than the ERS; e.g., Unlock Democracy.

Results of all the resolutions may be seen on http://www.stvaction.org.uk/node/398 and http://www.stvaction.org.uk/node/399.