The Alternative Vote (AV) has a number of disadvantages.
- It requires a reasonable degree of literacy and numeracy to be used effectively, and because it operates in single-member districts it produces results that are disproportional when compared to PR systems.
- It is doubtful if AV would promote accommodatory behaviour in deeply divided societies where ethnic groups are concentrated in particular geographic regions. It has been found that AV does not work well when applied to larger, multi-member districts.
Nevertheless, Nauru uses a modified version of AV, mostly in two-member districts. Under the Nauruan system, there are no eliminations, and preferences are counted simply as 'fractional votes'; a first preference is worth one, a second preference is worth a half, a third preference is worth a third, and so on. If no candidate has an absolute majority of first preferences, these lower-order preferences are tallied and the candidate(s) with the highest total(s) wins the seat.
