Voting Systems Flashcards
When is First Past The Post used?
General elections and in local elections in England and Wales.
What type of constituency does First Past The Post use?
Single member consitituencies
How many votes does each elector cast in First Past The Post?
One
How does an elector cast their vote in First Past The Post?
By marking an X next to their preferred candidate.
What type of voting system is First Past The Post? What does this mean?
Simple plurality, meaning that the winner only needs one more vote than any other candidate.
What are three possible advantages of the First Past The Post system?
1) It’s simple and easy to understand for the public.
2) It mostly provides strong and stable one-party governments
3) The AV referendum of 2011 arguably proves that it is popular with the electorate.
What are three possible disadvantages of First Past The Post?
1) Some electors have to vote tactically rather than for their preferred candidate.
2) FPTP means that some votes are wasted.
3) It is possible to win without the support of the majority of your constituents, which calls in to question the victor’s legitimacy
What does AMS stand for?
Additional Member System
Where is AMS used?
In Scottish elections and in New Zealand
What type of constituency is used in AMS?
Single member and multi member constituencies
How many votes are cast per elector in AMS?
Two - once for a candidate and once for a party
How do electors vote in AMS?
Electors receive two ballot papers. On the first they put a cross by the name of their preferred candidate, and on the second they put a cross by the name of their preferred party.
What type of system is AMS?
It is both simple plurality (the election of the representatives uses FPTP) and proportional representation (the election of the parties is used to try and undo the distortion in party representation created by FPTP).
What are three advantages of AMS?
1) Pretty much prevents gerrymandering due to the second vote for party preference.
2) It encourages political diversity as smaller parties can gain representation via the second vote.
3) It offers the best of both worlds between simple plurality and proportional representation.
What are two disadvantages of AMS?
1) It does not have a good track record of building a stable government.
2) Some could argue that it offers the worst of both worlds.
What does AV stand for?
Alternative Vote
When and where is AV used?
It is used in local Scottish by-elections and in Australia.
What type of constituency is used in AV?
Single member constituencies
How many votes are cast per elector in AV?
AV uses preference voting, so electors can use as many or as few votes as they like.
How do electors vote in AV?
Electors rank the candidates in order of preference for as long as they like.
What type of voting system is AV?
Majoritarian - a candidate must gain 50% of the vote in order to win. If nobody gains 50% of the vote, the candidate in last place is eliminated and their second choice votes are redistributed.
What are three advantages of AV?
1) It allows people to vote more honestly
2) It encourages parties to reach out beyond their “core supporters” as second/third etc choice votes are important too
3) It has a proven track record of providing strong and stable governments
When is the Closed Party List System used in the UK?
During elections to the European Parliament.
What type of constituencies are used in the Closed Party List System?
Multi-member constituencies
