The Electoral System Flashcards
What is the difference between a general election and a by-election in the UK?
A general election occurs when all 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) resign and contest their seats, typically every five years. A by-election, on the other hand, is an election held in a single constituency due to the death or resignation of its MP.
Describe the “First Past the Post” (FPTP) electoral system and explain one of its advantages and one of its disadvantages.
First Past the Post (FPTP) is a plurality voting system where the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins the seat. An advantage is that it’s simple and easy to understand, while a disadvantage is that it can lead to wasted votes and disproportionate results for smaller parties.
Who can vote in national elections?
● British, Irish, Commonwealth citizens normally resident in the UK
● Must be 18+
● Must be on the Electoral Register
Who can’t vote in an election?
● Peers sitting in the House of Lords.
● Foreigners (including EU citizens).
● Patients detained under the mental health act for crimes.
● Convicted prisoners (controversial as the European Court of Human Rights says the blanket ban is illegal).
● People convicted of corrupt or illegal elections practices.
● The King and heirs don’t vote, although there is no law stopping them.
What is a fixed-term parliament?
The 2010 Coalition Government introduced fixed-term Parliaments of five years. A vote of no confidence in the government or a vote by two thirds of the House of Commons can trigger an election. (The latter happened in 2017 and 2019). The fixed term parliament act was repealed by the previous Conservative government so the previous prime minister Rishi Sunak called the date for the election in July 2024.
Who can stand in national elections?
● You have to be 18+
● You have to be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen normally resident in the UK
Who can’t stand in national elections?
● Peers.
● Undischarged bankrupts.
● Patients convicted of crimes under the mental health act.
● Prisoners serving more than one year in jail (so prisoners can’t vote but can stand as candidates!).
● People convicted of corrupt election practices (10 year ban in the same constituency, five years if in another one).
● Senior civil servants.
● Police officers.
● Members of the armed forces.
● Judges.
Plurality Voting (First Past the Post FPTP)
● General election decided by ‘plurality’ voting - otherwise known as First Past the Post.
● Simple, easy to understand system.
● The candidate with the most votes is elected.
● The party with the majority of votes forms the government.
● There are 650 seats - so if a party reaches 326 they can form a government as even if all the other parties group together they can only muster 324 seats - not enough to defeat the government.
● If no party gets 326 - known as a hung parliament - they can either:
1. Try to govern as a minority administration, on a vote by vote basis, which is unstable as they can be defeated at any moment if the other parties gang up on them
2. They could enter into a “confidence and supply” agreement with other parties whereby smaller parties support the government on big votes (such as the Budget)
Proportional Representation (PR) and proposed alternatives
The FPTP system is seen as unfair by some people because it does not distribute seats on the basis of the proportion of votes cast. Votes cast for any candidate but the winner are effectively ‘wasted’. Alternative voting systems try to put this right:
● Single Transferable Vote (STV) - Voters mark candidates in order of preference in multi member constituencies. If one reaches the quota (that is, for example, 20% of first preferences in a five member constituency), the surplus votes from that candidate are re-calculated with their second choices now counted as a first choice. (Used in Northern Ireland Assembly elections)
● Party List - The parties list their chosen candidates in order of priority and voters invited to vote for that party. Open party lists give voters some say in the order of the lists; in closed party lists voters have no say in the order of the list. (Used in European elections)
● Alternative Vote – This operates in single member constituencies. If a candidate has more than 50% of votes he/she is elected. If not the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated and that candidate’s votes redistributed according to second choices.
● Supplementary Vote - If no candidate gets majority then all but top two eliminated and votes redistributed according to second choices. (Used in London mayor elections).
● Additional Member System (AMS) - Hybrid system where some candidates are elected in single member constituencies according to FPTP and second votes are used to top up from regional lists. (Used in Scottish Parliament elections)
- NB A proposal to introduce an AV system for British General Elections was decisively rejected in a referendum in May 2011.
How the Electoral Process works
● Candidates must pay a £500 deposit which is lost if fewer than 5% of votes cast. This is known as losing your deposit
● Spending is overseen by the Electoral Commission
● Elections always take place on Thursdays
● Polls close 10pm and ballot boxes sealed and taken to the count
● Election workers count the votes into piles. Candidates and party workers and the press can observe the process to ensure there is no electoral fraud
● The whole process overseen by the Returning Officer (usually local council officer) who announces the result
● Candidates can demand a recount if the vote is close.
● If the result is a dead heat, lots are drawn.
Low turnouts and political apathy
- Declining turnout in general elections (60% turnout in 2024).
- Wasted votes for smaller parties spread widely across the country under First Past the Post.
- Tactical voting (“anyone but the Tories” in the 2024 election) under FPTP does not reflect voters’ true preferences
- Focus on undecided “swing” voters in marginal constituencies absorb most campaigning effort
- Voter photographic ID requirement prevents some people from voting.
How MPs are chosen
Conservative
Have an approved candidates list that is issued by the party centrally. Final choice is by the local Conservative Constituency Association.
How MPs are chosen
Labour
Labour: National Executive Council (NEC) approves candidates list and then the Constituency Labour Party makes the final choice. They have tried All Women Shortlists to boost the number of female MPs.
How MPs are chosen
Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats: Centrally administered list of Approved Names who can then apply for vacancies from local parties.
How General Elections work
- They take place every five years. The Prime Minister decides the exact date (timed to get maximum political advantage).
- All 650 MPs resign and stand for re-election (if they want to)
- Campaigning continues for around six weeks
- Parties can spend up to £35.1 million over 365 days before the GE if they are contesting every seat.
How Recall petitions work
- An MP is convicted of an offence and receives a custodial offence (prison)
- Voters in the constituency can get rid of their MP by signing a recall petition (six weeks to sign).
- If at least 10% of voters want their MP removed, they will lose their seat and there will be a by-election (election in a single constituency caused by the death or resignation of an MP).
- There can be no recall petition until all rights to appeal have been exhausted.
