STV has multi-member constituencies. You vote preferentially, and you vote for the people you want, in the order you want them.
So in a four-member seat there would be a variety of people standing: four (usually) Conservatives, four Labour, four Lib-Dem, and probably less of the other parties. I would then choose the individuals in the order I wanted them. So I could look at voting records and choose two Lib-Dem people I liked, a Labour member with a strong civil-liberties standing, then another Lib-Dem person, etc, etc,. They're then elected in a very similar manner to the way AV works (if anyone had more than 20% of the vote they'd be elected, if not someone would be eliminated and their votes redistributed, extra votes for an elected member would also be redistributed).
This removes some power from the parties, as you choose which of the members to support, while also allowing a measure of proportionality.
It's how elections are carried out for Northern Ireland's assembly, and for Scottish councils.
no subject
So in a four-member seat there would be a variety of people standing: four (usually) Conservatives, four Labour, four Lib-Dem, and probably less of the other parties. I would then choose the individuals in the order I wanted them. So I could look at voting records and choose two Lib-Dem people I liked, a Labour member with a strong civil-liberties standing, then another Lib-Dem person, etc, etc,. They're then elected in a very similar manner to the way AV works (if anyone had more than 20% of the vote they'd be elected, if not someone would be eliminated and their votes redistributed, extra votes for an elected member would also be redistributed).
This removes some power from the parties, as you choose which of the members to support, while also allowing a measure of proportionality.
It's how elections are carried out for Northern Ireland's assembly, and for Scottish councils.