In response to William Dixon Smith, (Letters, July 9) I would like to say that while people understand the general principles of preferential voting, they do not always realise that this is what the Alternative Vote (AV) system is.

Furthermore, the way in which second (third, fourth etc) preferences are allocated (with, in the second round, only the second preferences of the people who chose the least favoured candidate as their first choice being added to the total) is not generally understood, either. While this will not matter so much at the ballot box, it will matter at the upcoming referendum.

People will not vote for something they do not quite understand. We therefore need to make an effort, as a society, so those voting at the referendum understand what they are voting for. We need an ongoing public dialogue.

As I see it, AV is infinitely preferable to first past the post. It isn’t the reform that I would choose, but it’s the reform that we will have the choice of - one which will lead to fairer outcomes for everybody.

Ieuan Ferrer, Fourth Avenue, York.