1. Elections and Electoral Systems
Lecture Four
Elections and Electoral Systems

2. Why are elections important?
Participation
Accountability
Legitimacy

3. From elections to governments
Electoral system translates votes into seats
Government formation rules change seats into executive positions

5. First past the post
Country divided into 659 single-member constituencies
Voters choose one candidate only
The winner is the candidate with the largest minority
A very simple and clear system

6. How Britain voted in 1997

7. Supplementary vote Country divided into single-member constituencies
Voters choose one candidate
All candidates passing a threshold go forward to a second ballot the following week
Tends to produce a broad left-right contest

8. How Britain would have voted in 1997 under SUPPLEMENTARY voting

9. Alternative vote Country divided into single-member constituencies
Voters rank candidates... 1, 2, 3, ... etc
Any candidate over 50% first preferences wins
If no candidate over 50%, lowest candidate eliminated and their 2nd preferences reallocated, and so on...

10. How Britain would have voted in 1997 under ALTERNATIVE voting

11. Advantages of plurality
Straightforward
Accountable
No post-election bargaining
Strong governments
Discourages extremists
Supplementary and Alternative convey information on preferences

12. Disadvantages of plurality
Disproportional! Strong winner’s bonus.
Unrepresentative
No say in choice of party candidates
Excludes minorities
Encourages tactical voting
Wastes votes
Encourages apathy in non-marginal seats

13. Proportional representation
The allocation of seats in the legislature in proportion to the votes cast for the party in the election
Requires multi-member constituencies

14. PR: List system
Country divided into a number of multi-member constituencies
Voters vote for a political party
Complex formulae translate votes to seats
MPs drawn from a Party List

15. How Britain would have voted in
1997 under a PR LIST system

16. PR: STV system
Country divided into a number of multi-member constituencies
Voters rank candidates
Often more than one candidate from the same party

17. PR: STV system Calculate “Droop quota”
Droop Quota = Votes / (Number seats + 1)
Any candidates passing the Droop quota are elected

18. PR: STV system
Successful candidates’ “surplus votes” are transferred to other candidates
Continues until all positions filled
If no candidate can pass the Droop Quota, lowest candidate eliminated and their votes transferred.

19. How Britain would have voted in
1997 under a PR STV system

20. PR: AMS Country divided into single- and multi- member constituencies
Single-member candidates chosen on plurality basis
Multi-member candidates chosen on a list basis
Weighting varies (eg Germany, Italy)

21. How Britain would have voted in
1997 under a PR AMS system

22. Advantages of PR Creates a proportional and representative legislature
Communicates more information to leaders
Increases parties’ sensitivity to electorate
Increases minority representation

23. Advantages of PR
List - facilitates party control and strong government
STV - allows candidate choice within parties and conveys a lot of information
AMS - keeps constituency link and ensures proportionality

24. Disadvantages of PR
Multi-member system blurs accountability and makes government remote
Government dependent on vociferous minorities
Minorities can be extremists
Coalition formation

25. Disadvantages of PR
List - party control not necessarily beneficial to democracy
STV - requires small (therefore disproportional) constituencies for choices to be meaningful; stress on candidates undermines government effectiveness
AMS - two classes of MP - blurs accountability

26. Electoral reform in UK Scotland/ Wales - AMS European elections - List
Local Government - London Mayor

27. Electoral reform in UK “Plant Commission” recommended electoral reform
Agreement with Liberals to move ahead on reform
Establishment of Jenkins Commission
Referendum for Westminster elections promised
AV-plus outcome
Devolved Assemblies and European Elections

28. Conclusion
British system seen by many to be antiquated, yet it retains key supporters who stress accountability and governability. Reform in second-order elections will be achieved more easily than at Westminster