Different electoral systems

FPTP:

  • Voters cast 1 vote for 1 candidate in a single member constituency.
  • Winning MP is the one with most votes - only needs 1 more than any other MP.
  • Winning MP doesn't need 50% of votes.
  • Not proportional or majoritarian
  • Leads to a majority government e.g. 2010 General Election. 
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  • Created by: Olivia 22
  • Created on: 10-04-14 12:27

FPTP:

  • Voters cast 1 vote for 1 candidate in a single member constituency.
  • Winning MP is the one with most votes - only needs 1 more than any other MP.
  • Winning MP doesn't need 50% of votes.
  • Not proportional or majoritarian
  • Leads to a majority government e.g. 2010 General Election. 
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Additional Member System

  • Used in Scotland and Wales
  • Mixed system -> Constituency MP's through FPTP and Top Up MP's through regional list. Scotland = 73 MP's through FPTP and 56 Top Ups. Wales = 40 MP's through FPTP and 20 Top Up MP's.
  • More proportional for parties
  • Helps small parties e.g. Scottish socialists gaining 6 seats in 2003
  • Usually leads to a coalition however this wasn't the case for wales in 2003 and scotland in 2011.
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Single Transferable Vote

  • Used in Northern Ireland to elect MEP's and Northern Irish Assembly
  • Preferential voting and multi member constituencies
  • Uses a 'droop formula' which allows 2nd and 3rd preferences to be taken into account if 1st preferences don't meet the quota
  • Tends to lead to coalitions
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Closed, regional party list

  • For the 11 mainland and 1 northern irish MEP regions
  • Vote for a party rather than a candidate
  • very proportional
  • Parties are the ones to decided on the candidates by ranking them into a list and then the % of votes decides the % of candidates working down the list.
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