Explain each of the following electoral systems: (a) Simple plurality system (b) The repeated ballot (c) The second ballot (d) The alternative vote.

Answer Details

An electoral system is the method by which votes cast in an election are counted and translated into seats or into the choice of a winner. The four systems named are explained below.

(a) Simple plurality system (First-past-the-post): Under this system the candidate who scores the highest number of votes is declared the winner, whether or not that number amounts to more than half of the total votes cast. The winner needs only a plurality (more votes than any other single candidate), not an absolute majority. For example, if in a constituency candidate A polls 30,000 votes, B polls 25,000 and C polls 20,000, A wins even though A's votes are less than half of all votes cast. It is simple and produces quick results but may allow a candidate to win with less than half of the total votes.

(b) The repeated ballot: Under this system, if no candidate obtains the required absolute majority (more than half of the votes) in the first round of voting, the election is repeated over and over again, using the same set of candidates, until one candidate finally secures an absolute majority. Weak candidates may withdraw between rounds. Its weakness is that voting may have to be repeated many times, making it slow, tiring and expensive.

(c) The second ballot: Here, if no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first ballot, a second and final ballot is held. In the second round, only the two candidates who scored the highest votes in the first ballot are allowed to contest (or, in some versions, only candidates who passed a stated threshold). The one who wins the second ballot is declared elected. It guarantees that the winner enjoys majority support without endless repetition, but it requires the expense of organising two separate elections.

(d) The alternative vote (preferential voting): Under this system the voter does not simply mark one candidate; instead the voter ranks the candidates in order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on) on a single ballot. If a candidate obtains an absolute majority of first-preference votes, that candidate wins. If not, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated and that candidate's votes are transferred to the remaining candidates according to the second preferences marked on them. The process of eliminating the lowest candidate and redistributing votes continues until one candidate secures an absolute majority. It produces a majority winner from a single ballot, but the counting is more complex.