Within this assignment I will be discussing the electoral process this describes
how and what general elections are and how they are carried out; this further
consists of: Who is entitled to be a Member of Parliament, what is the candidate
selection process and the effect of the electoral system on elections and the
voting process.
A general election is where a political body that is chosen through
elections, voting for local districts and these are usually held for a nation's
primary legislative body, as distinguished from by elections and local elections.
A candidate to become an MP must be a British or Irish or Commonwealth
citizen, be at least 18 years of age, and not be a public official or officeholder,
they must be elected through there constituency.
The effects of the electoral system on elections- The development of
the electoral system is critical for the perception of individual candidates ' role
within the political system. Various kinds of electoral systems result in different
relationships between the candidates and their supporters. Generally, structures
utilizing single-member districts encourage individual candidates to see
themselves as delegates of geographical areas (constituency) and beholden to
the interests of their local electorate. By contrast, systems which use large multi-
member districts, such as most Proportional Representation systems, are more
likely to deliver representatives whose primary loyalty lies with their party on
national issues. Moreover, having a two-party election has much more influence.
The electoral system design can influence the way a party campaigns and the
way political elites behave. Proportional representation list systems, where
voters choose between parties and policy programmes, are said to foster
campaign centralization. Proportional representation systems also encourage
parties to campaign beyond the districts in which they are strong, because the
political parties aim to increase their overall votes regardless where the votes
come from. In Plurality/Majority Systems, on the other hand, voters tend to
choose between candidates rather than among political parties and programmes.
Influence of political parties- Political parties have a tremendous
amount of influence on the election process. Firstly, and most importantly, the
political party in power is the one who chooses when to have a general election.
This means they can call a general election at any time within the five-year
period that suits them and makes it more likely for them to win. The party in
power is likely to have the funds to support their candidates and the resources
for publicity to help them win the seat. This puts smaller parties and independent
candidates at a distinct disadvantage.
Voting in person - Most people visit a polling station on the day of a
general election to place their vote. Polling stations are set up in local buildings
across the UK, for example school or community halls. On election day, polling
stations are open from 7am until 10pm to ensure as many people as possible can
get there, for example before or after work or in a lunch break.
, If you are on the electoral register, you will receive a poll card. The poll card will
give you the details of where and when to vote in your area.
Voting by post - An alternative way to vote is by post. Anyone aged over
18 can apply for a postal vote if you are on the electoral register and you do not
need to provide a reason. You will need to fill in a postal vote application form
which is available from your local electoral registration office. Postal voting in
Northern Ireland varies from the rest of the UK.
Voting by proxy - If you are unable to get to a polling station you may choose to
vote ‘by proxy’. A proxy vote means that you choose someone you trust to vote
on your behalf. This can be particularly helpful if you fall ill or if you are abroad
on Election Day. Anyone over 18 can apply for a proxy vote if you are on the
electoral register but you will need to provide a reason.
First Past the Post - First Past the Post is the name for the electoral
system used to elect Members of Parliament to Westminster. An electoral system
is one in which voters indicate on a ballot the candidate of their choice, and the
candidate who receives the most votes wins. First-past-the-post voting is a
plurality voting method. First past the post is a common, but not universal,
feature of electoral systems with single-member electoral division which is
practised in close to one third of countries.
The advantage of this includes for the Westminster General Elections, it has
existed for a long time, is widely accepted, and tradition It is also easy to
understand, indicating that those that are inexperienced in politics could
contribute. A drawback includes there are many ' wasted ' votes, as well as those
who vote against the traditional party in a ' safe seat ' vote or a vote for a
smaller party that is extremely unlikely to win a seat (e.g. the Green Party). It
means that voters in marginal seats are generally worth more than those in safe
seats, candidates are more likely to spend time in those regions before an
election to try to convince the electorate to ' swing ' to their side. An example of
a safe seat is Liverpool Walton which is held by labour. This type of vote wastage
may be one of the reasons for low turnout, people do not see the point in voting
if their vote is not going to count. Furthermore, the benefit of FPTP is that it
generally delivers an undisputed result and winner. Under FPTP it is possible for
the government to be formed by a party that has a small majority, and
potentially a disproportional share of seats. However, the government will
generally be formed by the party with the most seats, and usually, the party with
the most votes. Under FPTP, power is vested in the ‘largest minority’, while under
PR, disproportional power can be wielded by any number of small parties with a
minority of votes as part of a coalition government. Disadvantages are it can
deliver highly disproportional outcomes at the national level. Governments can
be elected without most of the popular vote and can even win most seats
without winning more votes than any other party.
Arguments for and against different voting systems Review of Voting Systems
Arguments for and against different voting systems many constituencies are
‘safe’ seats for parties, with little prospect of changes. Therefore, people who do
not support the majority party have no prospect of making their vote ‘count’.
Similarly, even voters supporting the winning candidate may feel that their votes
serve only to increase an already large majority campaigning, particularly by the
