A chance for Ceredigion to be the first council in Wales adopt an alternative way of electing county councillors has failed.

All county councillors in Wales are currently elected using a simple majority system, commonly known as first past the post (FPTP), as used in general elections, with the option of a change to a system known as the Single Transferable Vote (STV) under 2021 legislation, a change that would not affect town and community council elections.

The more complex STV system differs in a number of ways, including that every single county council ward would need to be larger and multi-member, of between three and six members, with voters ranking the candidates according to their order of preference.

The potential change would also have seen an increase in election costs, estimated to be between £45,000 and £56,000.

Back in March, Ceredigion councillors backed a public consultation being held on the alternative system, with 67 per cent of 475 responses favouring the change, leading to a special meeting of Ceredigion County Council being held on 14 November.

To make the change, at least two thirds of councillors would have to be in favour of it, but the vote saw 18 members in favour and 17 against.

Speaking at the meeting, Aberaeron county councillor, and Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Elizabeth Evans said it was “no secret” she was in support of the change, saying: “I see our communities changing, they’re more transient and less engaged; how many times have we heard: ‘Our vote doesn’t count’?”

She said the STV system would “dilute one-party dominance,” making for closer consensus politics.

She conceded there were ‘cons’ to the change, of larger wards and more complex voting, and the possibility of some councillors in multi-member ward not working as hard as others.

Cllr Caryl Roberts also backed the change, saying it offered “a fairer system.”

A majority of Gwynedd councillors voted in favour of a move to STV in October, but not enough to meet the two-thirds threshold for it to pass.

Also last month, Powys councillors rejected a move to STV.