Voting Systems

Voting Systems

1. First Past the Post (FPTP)

   • Used in;
     • House of Commons
     • England and Wales local government
   • Constituences are roughly equal size
   • A constituency system, there is currently 650 Constituency's in the UK
   • Voters select a single candidate, reflecting a 'one person, one vote' system
   • The winning candidate only needs to achieve a plurality of votes
   • Disadvantages
     • Electoral Fairness
     • All votes count
     • Majority governement
     • Accountable government
     • Consensus political culture
   • Advantages
     • Clear electoral cjoice
     • Constituency represemtation
     • Mandate democracy
     • Strong government
     • Stable government

2. Additional Member System (AMS)

   • Used in;
     • Scottish Paraliment
     • Welsh Assembly
     • Greater London Assembly
   • Proportion of seats filled by FPTP, rest filled with 'closed' party list
   • Broadly proportional in terms of outcome
     • Allows to make a wider more considered choice
   • Advantages
     • Balances the need for constituency representation, against the need for fairness
     • It allows voters to make a wider and more considered choice
     • Keeps alive the possibility of a single-party government
   • Disadvantages
     • Creates confusion, of two different classes of representatives
     • Reduces likelihood of high levels of proportionality
     • Constituency representation will be less effective than FPTP

3. Alternative vote (AV)/ Supplementry Vote (SV)

   • Winning candidate must have a minimum of 50% of all the votes cast
   • With AV, electors vote preferentially, in SV electors vote for a first preference vote, and a second 'supplementary vote'
   • Votes are according to preference, if no candidate reaches 50% then the bottom candidates votes get redistributed (SV) or the bottom candidate gets dropped out until there is a 50% winning candidate
   • Advantages
     • SV/AV ensures that fewer votesare'wasted'
     • As a candidate must have 50%,parties will start to cover a broader range of views, instead of a fixed narrow view
   • Disadvantages
     • The outcome of a election, may be determined by the support of small, extremist (possibly) party support
     • Candidates may only win from redistribution, making them the least unpopular candidate, and not the most popular

4. Single Transferable Vote (STV)

   • Used in;
     • Northern Irish Assembly
     • Scottish and Irish local government
   • Quota system, uses (Total number of votes)/(Number of seats+1) +1
   • Parties are able to put up as many candidates as there are seats to fill
   • Electors vote preferentially by ranking candidates in order
   • Disadvantages
     • A strong and Stable single-party government is unlikely
     • Multimember constituencies may be divisive and so competition between party members will be encouraged
   • Advantages
     • Capable of achieving high proportional outcomes
     • The availability of several members in a constituency, mean that people have a choice on who to take their grievances to

5. Regional Party list

   • Used in the UK for European Parliament
   • There is a large number of multimember constituences
   • Disadvantages
     • Parties can become more powerful. as they decide where candidates are placed on the party list
     • Links between a representative and his/her constituency may be weaken/broken
     • Small parties may lead to a weak and unstable government
   • Parties must compile a list of candidates to place before the electors
     • This can be a closed list, where the electors choose a party, and candidates get put forward as they appear on the list
     • This can be a open list system, where the electors vote for a party, and then a candidate no matter where they are on the list
   • Advantages
     • This system is the only 'pure' proportional representation system
     • The system tends to promote unity
     • The system makes it easier for women, and minority candidates to be elected