Whilst the debate goes on as to whether AV is a good thing or not, and the vote (first past the post) is happening as I write. Webcredible reveal that they employ AV to judge web sites (if it good enough for the Oscars!)
The Webcredible blog post Using Alternative Vote (AV) in user research presents an interesting proposition that whilst it’s often difficult to chose between alternatives, sometimes the most important matter is to avoid picking the one the majority dislike most.
How often do we take such considerations into heart when judging how we deliver services, what channels we use or even the phrasing we use delivering the message or service? Not very often I guess!
The Great E-mancipator 
I am so disappointed AV did not pass in the UK. There is a guest post on my blog explaining why it should have been chosen:
http://minsminions.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/mythsav/