Strategic voting is the term used to describe the behaviour
of
voting for a
candidate who is not your
favoured candidate,
in order to avoid the
election of an
unsuitable candidate.
This occurs when at least three parties are standing for
office; n closely-competing candidates and a n+1'th candidate who is
unlikely to win. Supporters of the n+1'th party, knowing
their cause is just but futile, choose to vote for the
less blatantly evil of the n more successful contenders.
In general elections, this is often painful for smaller
parties like (in the UK) Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and
Scottish Nationalist Party.
Proportional Representation is a fair system of voting which makes
strategic voting unneccessary.