Vote pairing (or vote swapping, as it has also been called) is the method where a voter in one district agrees to vote tactically for a less-preferred candidate or party who has a greater chance of winning in their district, in exchange for a voter from another district voting tactically for the candidate the first voter prefers, because that candidate has a greater possibility of winning in that district.
This occurs informally (i.e., without binding contracts) but sometimes with great sophistication in the United States, United Kingdom and other places.
Using UK elections as an example, tactical voting is often between the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. There may be one constituency in which the Labour Party and the Conservative Party candidates are running in a tight race, with the Liberal Democrat far behind. In another constituency, the Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates may be in a tight race, with the Labour candidate far behind. A Liberal Democrat voter in the first constituency would agree to vote for the Labour candidate in exchange for a Labour voter from the second constituency voting for the Liberal Democrat candidate.
Many activists and activist organizations are pursuing laudable but hopeless aims - hopeless that is in relation to the May General Election.
The Tories will get +- 40% of the votes. The only issue is ensuring that they do not get an absolute majority. They are implacably opposed to Fair Voting.
Labour have reneged again. The Lib Dems don't have the guts to do a deal.
Vote pairing or vote swapping - part of tactical voting - can be used to lessen the Labour-Tory stranglehold whose time is exhausted.
Gradually we have to show and persuade all of the voters that Fair Voting is not just about social justice, it is the key to integrating all of the other reforms.
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