Voting systems - Proportional and mixed.

Question 1

What is the Single Transferable Vote (proportional)
system?

Answer 1

STV is a proportional electoral system and is already
used in the UK for: the NI Assembly, local elections in
Scotland.

Question 2

How STV works:

Answer 2

• There are large, multi-member constituencies.
• Voters number as few or as many candidates as
  they wish in order of preference.
• Parties may have multiple candidates in an effort to
  win all the available seats.
• Voters have a great deal of choice – they can pick between candidates from different parties, or prioritise all of the candidates from one preferred party.

Question 3

Strengths of STV

Answer 3

Produces a broadly proportional result.
* Voters have much greater choice – they can select multiple parties and
prioritise candidates.
* Constituents have a choice of MPs to contact after the election.
* Fewer wasted votes because both surplus votes for winning candidates,
and votes for eliminated candidates, are redistributed.
* Smaller parties have a much greater chance of winning seat.
* Eliminates the problem of safe seats and the need for tactical voting
* Encourages participation

Question 4

Weaknesses of STV

Answer 4

Takes a long time for the votes to be counted and winners announced.
* Voting is confusing - ballot papers are very lengthy, often with multiple
candidates from the same party, and voters have to rank candidates by
preference.
* Alphabet voting – where voters select candidates based on the order that
they appear on the ballot. In the 2012 Scottish local elections, in the 418
wards where parties nominated more than one candidate, the candidate
placed higher up on the ballot paper won 333 times.
* The existing constituency boundaries would have to be redrawn and
enlarged to create large, multi-member constituencies.
* Ends link between a constituency and a single MP.
* Proportional results means coalition governments are highly likely.
* Can create weak govt. with low accountability

Question 5

What is the Additional Member System (mixed)?

Answer 5

AMS is a mixed electoral system and is already used in the UK for: the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, the Greater London Assembly.

Question 6

How AMS works:

Answer 6

Under AMS voters cast two votes: one constituency vote for a local candidate, one regional vote for a party to be allocated proportionally.
* Some representatives are elected using FPTP in single-member constituencies.
* A smaller number of representatives known as ‘additional members’ are elected in multi-member constituencies using the proportional regional list
system.
* Under the regional list system, the d’Hondt formula is used to allocate seats.

Question 7

What are the strengths of AMS?

Answer 7

• It combines the best features of FPTP and proportional systems: the
  system produces a broadly proportional result, the link between a
  constituency and a single MP is retained.
• There are fewer wasted votes, because even if the constituency vote is
  wasted the regional vote will count.
• Voters have greater choice – they can select a minority party for the regional vote without fearing it will be wasted. They can also choose to split
  their ticket.
• Regional party lists can be used to improve the representation of women
  and minorities (for example, by alternating male and female candidates on
  the party lists).
• Encourages voter participation.

Question 8

What are the weaknesses of AMS?

Answer 8

The systems create two classes of MPs – some accountable to the
electorate and others to the party leaders. This has led to tension in the
Scottish Parliament MSPs have expressed resentment towards their
regional list counterparts.
* Party leaders become extremely influential because they determine the
composition and order of the party lists.
* The smallest parties are still under-represented, because in many
multi-member constituencies only a few seats are available.
* More complicated than FPTP – which increases the risk of incorrectly
completed ballot papers.