Sir, – The widespread view that the forthcoming election could be historic represents an exciting challenge for every voter. A hundred years ago, there was a growing recognition that an electoral system that did not allow women to vote was fundamentally wrong and that it should be changed.

Our great opportunity now is to end the ridiculous and outdated first-past-the-post voting system. Under the current arrangement, we have seen parties lose two million votes between general elections yet gain more than 100 seats in parliament.

Parties with the same percentage support from the public end up with hugely different power to govern us for the next five years. The outcome of each election is determined not by the proportion of votes cast but by unpredictable geographic and historic factors.

If, as seems very possible this time, the election results in a hung (or balanced) parliament, the crucial outcome will surely be major electoral reform. That would represent real and lasting change and could make it a memorable historic event comparable with the votes for women movement a century ago.

This will only happen, of course, if we seize the opportunity and vote as the opinion polls suggest. Then we truly could be witnessing history in the making.

MALCOLM J BRYANT Mill Croft, Richmond