 The system suffered from an drawback for a small minority of "ambitious electors" in contested elections (that is, where more candidates stood than the number of vacant seats).The ambitious elector votes twice or more, but reluctantly, for these extra choices out of ignorance of the system or hatred for some other candidate(s).She estimates she has therefore done more to stop the 'threat' of the hated candidate(s) but she will have contributed to the defeat of her most preferred candidate by boosting the second preference, who may be the poll-topper or second-placer (if receiving strong local support), and local support has shifted or was to be expected to one of the hated or lower-order candidates who is also elected with the most or the second-most votes.