FUTURE elections for the House of Keys should offer a fairer system of voting by dividing the Isle of Man into eight constituencies, each with three members, according to a political lobby group.

The Positive Action Group (PAG) has today recommended in a submission that the current system is unfair and that major changes should be adopted in time for the 2016 General Election.

PAG says that the current system of one, two and three seat constituencies provides “inequality” and a “democratic deficit” for at least 77% of voters.

The lobby group is responding to the Boundary Review Committee of Tynwald which is seeking views on the House of Keys constituency boundaries

The organisation’s researchers have broken down figures provided by government and are claiming that the existing voting system does not provide equality of representation and points to the ability of a voter in one constituency being able to cast only one vote, whereas in some constituencies a voter can cast three votes.

The group says that the current constituency boundaries are based on “geography and tradition” and are roughly based on trying to attain an equal number of voters per MHK.

However, PAG says that the ability of some voters to have three votes compared to others having two votes or only one gives an advantage to those having more than one House of Keys representative.

Government figures show the following breakdown:-

Constituencies with 3 MHKs - Onchan, Rushen (combined total 13,678 voters)

Constituencies with 2 MHKs - Douglas East, Douglas North, Ramsey, Douglas South, Douglas West (combined total 23,361 voters)

Constituencies with 1 MHK   - Ayre, Castletown, Garff, Glenfaba, Michael, Peel, Malew & Santon, Middle. (combined total 21,976 voters)

PAG says that published government figures (October 2010) show that from an electorate of 59,015, 23% will have three votes each, 40% will have two votes each and 37% will have one vote each.

In their submission they say, “As great, if not greater importance in maintaining the principle of one man, one vote, is the concept of equality of representation . . . it is essential that voters have confidence in the total electoral process.”

“The current amalgam of one, two and three seat constituencies which means that a voter in one constituency is able to cast three votes, whereas a voter in the next constituency is only able to cast one, can be considered a far greater inequality than the current variation in numbers of voters per constituency - addressing one problem in isolation could only be, at best, a partial solution."

PAG claims there are only three options - 24 constituencies each returning one member; 12 constituencies each returning two members; 8 constituencies each returning three members.

“PAG favours the third option of 8 x 3 member constituencies, believing that such a configuration may facilitate constitutional reform in the future.”

It adds, “PAG regards equality of representation to be the fundamental principle that should guide the committee to its own conclusions. PAG favours the formation of 8 constituencies each returning three Members of the House of Keys.”

Any changes to the current system will not come in time for this year’s House of Keys General Election in September and are expected to be made during the 2011-12 political year.