Electoral Systems - Fact Sheet

Electoral Systems - Fact Sheet

Meaning & Definition

Set of rules structuring how votes are cast and converted into seats. Includes rules, formulas, district magnitude, and ballot rules. (Gallagher, 2014)

Key Components ⬇

• Electoral Rules: franchise, eligibility, party rules, campaigns
• Electoral Formula: how votes convert to seats
• District Magnitude: number of seats per constituency
• Ballot Rules: ballot type, casting method (EVM, paper)

Factors Affecting Electoral System

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• Historical experiences, traditions, practices
• Political culture
• Political system type: Federal vs Unitary, Presidential vs Parliamentary
• Party system, social & demographic factors, socio-economic context
• Literacy, legal & constitutional framework, power politics, elite consensus

Effects on Political System

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• Voter-representative link (clear in FPTP, unclear in PR)
• Government formation: Strong single-party (FPTP) vs coalition (PR)
• Party system: Duverger’s Law – FPTP → 2-party, PR → multi-party
• Ideological effect: FPTP → less polarization, PR → multi-polar
• Underrepresentation of minorities in FPTP

Major Electoral Systems

Majoritarian / FPTP ⬇

• Winning: More votes than any other candidate (usually >50%)
• Single-member districts
• Other names: Single Member Plurality (SMP), Block Vote, Simple Majority
• Examples: India, UK, USA, most Commonwealth nations

Alternate Vote / Instant Runoff (AV/IRV) ⬇

• Voters rank candidates; eliminate lowest votes and transfer to next preference until >50%
• Single-member district
• Example: Australia parliamentary election

Second Ballot / Runoff Voting ⬇

• Two rounds: 1st FPTP, if no majority → 2nd round top 2 candidates
• Example: France, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey presidential elections

Proportional Representation (PR) ⬇

• Seats allotted in proportion to votes; multi-member districts
• Party List: Closed (order fixed by party), Open (voter preference)
• Examples: Spain, Italy (Closed); Sweden, Netherlands (Open)
• Single Transferable Vote (STV): multi-winner, quota-based (Ireland, Malta, Scotland)

Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) ⬇

• Hybrid of FPTP + PR; voters cast 2 votes
• Examples: Germany, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Russia

Important Facts for UGC NET

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• India, UK, USA – FPTP for general/major elections
• France – 2nd ballot system for president
• Australia – AV system for parliament
• Switzerland – PR Party List
• Germany – Mixed Member Representation
• Multiple names of FPTP: Block Vote, SMP, Majoritarian, Simple Majority