The Electoral System: Glossary Flashcards
Additional Member System (AMS):
A hybrid electoral system where some candidates are elected in single-member constituencies using First Past the Post, and additional members are added from regional lists to ensure a more proportional result.
Alternative Vote:
A voting system where voters rank candidates. If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on voters’ second choices.
By-election:
An election held in a single constituency to fill a vacancy caused by the death or resignation of a Member of Parliament (MP).
Candidate’s Deposit:
A fee of £500 that candidates must pay to stand in an election; this deposit is lost if the candidate fails to secure at least 5% of the votes cast.
Confidence and Supply Agreement:
An arrangement where smaller parties agree to support the government on key votes, such as the Budget, without entering into a formal coalition.
Constituency:
A specific geographical area that elects a representative to parliament.
Electoral Commission:
The body responsible for overseeing elections, ensuring they are conducted fairly and in accordance with the law.
Electoral Register:
The official list of people who are registered to vote in elections.
First Past the Post (FPTP):
- An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins the seat.
- It is also known as plurality voting
General Election:
-An election in which all 650 seats in the House of Commons are contested.
Hung Parliament:
A situation where no single party has an overall majority of seats (326 or more) in the House of Commons.
Losing Your Deposit:
Failure to secure at least 5% of the vote, resulting in the candidate not having their deposit returned.
Minority Administration:
A government that does not have a majority of seats in parliament and relies on support from other parties on a vote-by-vote basis.
Party List:
An electoral system where parties list their candidates in order of priority, and voters vote for the party. Seats are then allocated to candidates based on their position on the list and the proportion of votes the party receives.
Plurality Voting:
Also known as First Past the Post, it is a system where the candidate with the most votes wins.
Proportional Representation (PR):
A range of electoral systems that aim to distribute seats in proportion to the votes received by each party.
Recall Petition:
A mechanism by which voters can remove an MP who has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence, triggering a by-election if enough voters sign the petition.
Returning Officer:
The official, usually a local council officer, responsible for overseeing the electoral process in a constituency and announcing the result.
Single Transferable Vote (STV):
A proportional representation system where voters rank candidates in multi-member constituencies. Surplus votes from candidates who reach a quota are redistributed based on voters’ second preferences.
Supplementary Vote:
An electoral system where, if no candidate receives a majority, all but the top two candidates are eliminated, and votes are redistributed according to second preferences.
The Count:
The process of counting the votes after the polls close in an election.
