The same thing happens with council elections there.
In theory STV doesn't penalise you, in practice it does, and they've all become adept at fielding (number of seats we might win) or (number of seats we might win)+1.
I think if I had to explain what I believe to be the logic of it in a sentence it's probably:
"STV elimination stages are by candidate not by party, and keeping your vote in fewer piles keeps you in the game longer".
It shouldn't but vote bleed away to other parties or to no further preferences is probably just enough to make it worthwhile.
For the euro elections I get the impression the NI electorate is so stratified that the whole thing is more like three FPTP seats - one seat where the only candidates are Sinn Fein, SDLP, Alliance and Greens, one where it's only DUP, TUV and maybe NI21, and one where it's only UUP, DUP, Alliance and Greens.
no subject
In theory STV doesn't penalise you, in practice it does, and they've all become adept at fielding (number of seats we might win) or (number of seats we might win)+1.
I think if I had to explain what I believe to be the logic of it in a sentence it's probably:
"STV elimination stages are by candidate not by party, and keeping your vote in fewer piles keeps you in the game longer".
It shouldn't but vote bleed away to other parties or to no further preferences is probably just enough to make it worthwhile.
For the euro elections I get the impression the NI electorate is so stratified that the whole thing is more like three FPTP seats - one seat where the only candidates are Sinn Fein, SDLP, Alliance and Greens, one where it's only DUP, TUV and maybe NI21, and one where it's only UUP, DUP, Alliance and Greens.