Electoral Systems Definition Flashcards
First-past-the-post (FPTP)
This is a voting system used in UK general elections where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins.
It is simple and quick but can lead to disproportionate results, as smaller parties may receive fewer seats than their overall vote share suggests.
Additional Member System (AMS)
This hybrid electoral system combines First-past-the-post (FPTP) and proportional representation.
Voters cast two votes: one for a local representative and another for a political party. The system is used in Scotland and Wales and helps balance representation while still sometimes favouring larger parties.
Single Transferable Vote (STV)
A proportional system where voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate gets a majority, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated, and votes are transferred to the next preference until all seats are filled.
This system is used in Northern Ireland and Scottish local elections.
Supplementary Vote (SV)
Each voter gets two votes:
1. A first-choice vote – for the candidate they most prefer.
2. A second-choice vote – for another candidate in case their first choice doesn’t win.
If a candidate gets more than 50% of the votes in the first round, they win immediately.
If no one gets over 50%, all candidates except the top two are eliminated from the race.
The ballot papers of the eliminated candidates are checked to see if their voters marked a second choice. Any second-choice votes for the two remaining candidates are added to their totals. The candidate with the most votes after this final round wins the election.
Safe seat
A constituency where the same political party consistently wins with a large majority, making it unlikely for any other party to take control. This means elections in these areas are often predictable.
Marginal seat
A marginal seat is a constituency where elections are very close, and even a small number of votes can change the winner. Unlike safe seats, where the same party always wins easily, marginal seats can switch between parties from one election to the next.
These seats are very important in general elections because they can decide which party gets the most seats overall and forms the government.
Minority government
A minority government happens when a party wins the most seats in an election but not more than half. They are still in power because no other party has enough seats to take over.
Since they don’t have a majority, they can’t pass laws easily on their own. They need support from other parties, but if those parties refuse to help, the government becomes weak and unstable. This can lead to struggles in decision-making or even another election.
Coalition government
A government formed by two or more political parties that agree to share power. This usually happens when no single party wins a majority in an election. An example of this was the UK’s 2010 coalition government between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats.
