Voting Systems

Question 1

How does FPTP work?

Answer 1

• one MP represents each constituency
• voter casts single vote of preferred candidate
• candidate with largest number of votes (seats) within a constituency is elected

Question 2

How is FPTP disproportional?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Give an example of the party that won with less than 50% of the vote

Answer 3

Labour in 2005 won with 35%

Question 4

Advantages of FPTP

Answer 4

• 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)

Question 5

Disadvantages of FPTP

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

How does AV work?

Answer 6

• 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%

Question 7

When is AV used in the UK?

Answer 7

to elect conservative and labour leaders

Question 8

What does majoritarian system mean? Which voting system ensures this?

Answer 8

majoritarian system - winner is supposed to get a majority of the votes cast
AV

Question 9

Advantages of AV

Answer 9

• retains same constituencies
• penalises extremist parties (unlikely to be top two choice of voters)
• reduces need to tactically vote
• reduces number of ‘safe seats’

Question 10

Disadvantages of AV

Answer 10

• not proportional
• chance of ‘Donkey Voting’
• based more on popularity

Question 11

What does ‘Donkey Voting’ mean and in which voting system is this likely?

Answer 11

Donkey Voting - where voters vote for candidates in the order they appear on the ballot
AV

Question 12

How does STV work?

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

What is the STV Quota equation?

Answer 13

STV Quota = (number of votes/number of seats) + 1

Question 14

When is STV used in the UK?

Answer 14

• northern irish elections
• scottish local council elections

Question 15

What is the most proportionally representative voting system?

Answer 15

STV

Question 16

Advantages of STV

Answer 16

• most proportionally representatives
• fairest result
• smaller parties have the chance to win
• strongly reflects views of the electorate
• minimises wasted votes
• no safe seats

Question 17

Disadvantages of STV

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

How does AMS work?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

When is AMS used in the UK?

Answer 19

• scottish and welsh parliaments
• greater london assembly

Question 20

Advantages of AMS

Answer 20

• 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’

Question 21

What does split ticket voting mean?

Answer 21

when a voter can vote for different parties in the same election to more accurately demonstrate their viewpoints

Question 22

Example of AMS giving a proportional result

Answer 22

SNP 45% votes 53% seats

Question 23

Disadvantages of AMS

Answer 23

• 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