Summary
Summary UK Politics - Electoral Systems
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- AQA
Electoral systems notes comparing the electoral systems used in the UK and providing their strengths and weaknesses.
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Electoral SystemsKey Content Main Notes
The Electoral Systems: First Past the Post:
- FPTP (First Past - Works on the majoritarian principle that the candidate with the largest number of votes
the Post) in each constituency wins the seat. The UK is divided into 650 constituencies
- PLPR (Party List - It is possible for a party to gain a large number of votes across the country yet gain little
Proportional to none MPs.
Representation)
- AMS (Additional Party List Proportional Representation:
Member System) - Instead of electing one person per constituency the way it's done in FPTP, in List PR
- STV (Single each area is bigger and a group of MPs are elected instead in order to more closely
Transferable reflect the way most of the area voted.
Vote) - The parties typically rank their candidates in each area meaning the highest ranked
- AV (Alternative candidates (which are usually the leaders) almost always get elected.
Vote) - This system was used in the UK (excluding NI) for EU elections . The country was
divided into 11 large regions with each region electing between 3 and 10 MPs.
Other Abbreviations:
- NI - Northern Additional Member System:
Ireland - This is a hybrid system, it is a mixture of FPTP and List PR.
- EU - European - It is used in the UK for electing members of the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments along
Union with the London Assembly.
- MP - Member of - Voters have two ballots and two votes, the first list has candidates which are standing to
Parliament be a MP for the constituency and the second ballot paper has a list of parties standing
- MEP - Member for election in that area.
of European
Parliament Single Transferable Vote:
- Is the system used for European elections in NI and Scotland in local council elections.
- Voters rank their choices in order of preference.
- A candidate who has more first preference votes than the quota is immediately elected.
- Surplus votes are transferred to other candidates in proportion to the second reference
marked on the ballots received by that candidate.
Alternative Vote:
- Was proposed as an alternative to FPTP for Westminster elections in the 2011
referendum but was heavily rejected by the public.
- Only used for the election of chairs to parliamentary select committees.
- Under AV the voter ranks each candidate (1 being their favourite) and can rank as many
or as few candidates as they want.
- Is similar to STV but only has single member constituencies.
Evaluating Electoral Systems:
- Proportionality and a Fair Result:
FPTP PLPR AMS STV AV
- The number of - The number of - Produces a - Because it is a - Is not a
seats won are not seats won is largely proportional proportional
directly reflected closely reflected proportionate system it tends system
by the proportion by the voter result. to accurately - Has never
of votes cast by
each party.
share of the - For eg; the deliver results been used in
For eg; in 2019 parties. Scottish that reflect the national or
, the Conservatives - For eg; the Conservative overall shares of regional
won 77 more Brexit Party won Party won 25% the vote. elections.
seats than their 39% of the of the seats on a - This system is - Would have
proportion of the overall vote and total vote share usually the most resulted in a
overall votes cast
to them.
won four seats of 24%, while preferred by less proportional
- On rare (40% of the the Scottish advocates of a result than
occasions such as seats). Green Party proportional FPTP.
the 1951 and (which was system. - Ensures every
1974 election, the unable to win - Voters don’t winning
party with the any have to worry candidate has at
most overall votes constituency) about vote least the tactical
did not win the won 2/26 seats splitting or support of a
election. overall. This tactical voting. majority of
- It also
exaggerates the
was a fair - They put voters in their
performance of reflection of the candidates in constituency.
the winning party 11% of voter order.
by producing a share it had.
landslide which
distorts voter
shares.
For eg; in 1977
Labour won a
landslide result in
terms of seats
(63%) yet their
voter share was
only 43%. A
similar thing
happened to the
Conservatives in
1983 when they
won 61% of the
seats yet only got
42% of the voter
share.
- Vote Value:
FPTP PLPR AMS STV AV
- Many votes - Much less - Less chance of - Reduces the - Removes the
are wasted chance of votes votes for smaller potential for temptation for
because people being wasted. parties being wasted votes. tactical voting.
living in safe - A bigger wasted. - Voting on - No factor to
seats feel as if chance of For eg; the minor parties stop voters from
their vote has no smaller parties Scottish Green can have an voting for a
value. being able to Party gained 2 effect on the small party or
- Thousands of win seats. seats because outcome of the independent
votes cast for - However, of regional list election. candidate.
smaller parties dividing up the MSPs. - First
can end up with country into - Because seats preference
no MPs. smaller regions are rewarded on votes are
For eg; in 2019 can mean that a regional not redistributed
the Brexit Party the smallest of national list using the voters’
won 644,257 parties that smaller parties second
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