Voting Systems Flashcards
How does FPTP work?
- one MP represents each constituency
- voter casts single vote of preferred candidate
- candidate with largest number of votes (seats) within a constituency is elected
How is FPTP disproportional?
winner doesn’t necessarily have to gain a majority of votes cast
party with the largest number of seats had the right to form government
Give an example of the party that won with less than 50% of the vote
Labour in 2005 won with 35%
Advantages of FPTP
- easy to use (little voter confusion)
- speedy and simple (no delay, elected members and governments are soon in place)
- usually produces clear outcomes (only been two coalitions since WW2)
- excludes extremist parties
- stronger link between MP and constituency
- smaller parties still receive some influence and power (2010 LibDem Conservative coalition)
Disadvantages of FPTP
- Winning candidate can win with less than 50% vote (Labour 2005 won with 35%)
- Forces voter to make a single vote (tactical voting more likely)
- Smaller parties do not have the chance to win
- Rarely produces clear winner
- Can lead to unstable, multi party constituencies
- Overrepresents two major parties
How does AV work?
- voters rank candidates in order of preference
- if no candidate reached more than 50% then candidates with lowest number of votes get eliminated
- votes are then redistributed to voters second choice
- continued until one candidate reaches 50%
When is AV used in the UK?
to elect conservative and labour leaders
What does majoritarian system mean? Which voting system ensures this?
majoritarian system - winner is supposed to get a majority of the votes cast
AV
Advantages of AV
- retains same constituencies
- penalises extremist parties (unlikely to be top two choice of voters)
- reduces need to tactically vote
- reduces number of ‘safe seats’
Disadvantages of AV
- not proportional
- chance of ‘Donkey Voting’
- based more on popularity
What does ‘Donkey Voting’ mean and in which voting system is this likely?
Donkey Voting - where voters vote for candidates in the order they appear on the ballot
AV
How does STV work?
- made up of multi member constituencies
- parties field a maximum number of candidates they think can get elected
- voters rank in order of choice
- first round counted then quota set
What is the STV Quota equation?
STV Quota = (number of votes/number of seats) + 1
When is STV used in the UK?
- northern irish elections
- scottish local council elections
What is the most proportionally representative voting system?
STV
Advantages of STV
- most proportionally representatives
- fairest result
- smaller parties have the chance to win
- strongly reflects views of the electorate
- minimises wasted votes
- no safe seats
Disadvantages of STV
- much longer process (verdict cannot be announced same day like FPTP)
- leads to huge and unequal constituencies
- more confusing so could turn people off by voting
- electorate in england unfamiliar with the process
How does AMS work?
voter has two votes:
1. constituency vote: voters vote for local member by FPTP to a constituency
2. regional party list vote: votes for a party
When is AMS used in the UK?
- scottish and welsh parliaments
- greater london assembly
Advantages of AMS
- smaller parties now have a chance from regional party list and can sit in parliament (Scotland green party coalition with SNP)
- creates a broadly representative parliament
- greater voter choice
- proportional
- voters can ‘split their tickets’
What does split ticket voting mean?
when a voter can vote for different parties in the same election to more accurately demonstrate their viewpoints
Example of AMS giving a proportional result
SNP 45% votes 53% seats
Disadvantages of AMS
- still allows party dominance (SNP has dominated since 2007 and Labour has dominated Welsh assembly)
- smaller parties still struggle
- can result in minority governments and coalitions
- high levels of proportionality unlikely because it is a mixed system (uses fptp)
- constituencies are larger so representation may be less effective