New Zealand's political system means that minority parties, even new ones, can find themselves with some power by courting the "favourite party" vote - an additional tick voters can place in addition to voting for an individual candidate.
Over the next five months, children the length and breadth of Scotland will be reading the three shortlisted books in their age category and voting for their favourite (28,000 votes were cast for the 2015 award - phew!).
I admit Shaw is a bit of a form pick, like those people who in their all-time favourite records vote for this week's number one.
Anyone who has tuned into Gilles Peterson's unheralded show on BBC Radio 1 will be familiar with Fat Freddy's Drop, the reggae group from Wellington, New Zealand, whose previous album, 2005's Based on a True Story, was a Peterson favourite and voted worldwide album of the year by his listeners.
"NASCAR voters", the middle-class folk who have made car-racing one of America's favourite sports, often vote Republican.
LR: Or we could just retweet a favourite celebrity's vote and do it that way.
The city was seen as a clear favourite, with a vote for Hambantota requiring a leap of faith from delegates.
Betfair spokeswoman Naomi Totten said: "Attention is now being drawn to the margin of victory for remain, with between 50.01% and 55% the favourite on the vote percentage market".
Jubilee Wharf, 01326 374 424, misspeapod.co.uk Hard to pick a winner among the butchers and bakers that turn out the county's best "oggies", but this tiny Looe harbour favourite gets my vote.
But no insurgent has become the prohibitive favourite before a vote has been cast.There is many a slip twixt the cup and lip, of course: even successful presidential candidates tend to stumble at some point, and Mr Dean has already made a few slip-ups.
