BTEC Public ServicesGovernment Pass Grade
Contents
Introduction
- The current voting systems in the UK: a brief explanation.
- First past the Post
- Supplementary Vote
- Single Transferable Vote
- Additional Member System
- Party List System
- Advantages and Disadvantages of the various electoral processes.
- Advantages and Disadvantages of the “First Past the Post” (FPTP).
- Advantages and Disadvantages of the Supplementary Vote (VS) System.
- Advantages and Disadvantages of the Single Transferable Vote (STV).
- Advantages and Disadvantages of the Additional Member System (AMS).
- Advantages and Disadvantages of the Party list (Close List/Open List).
- Where this different systems are used (nationally and in internationally)
- My Opinion about the various voting systems.
Introduction
This assignment will try to explain the several electoral systems or ways used by the members of the public when voting for the different level of power elections. I will try to show that for the each election a different system is used. I will also try to explain and clarify what is the “the “First Past the Post”, the Supplementary Vote, the “Single Transferable Vote”, the “Additional Member System” and the “Party List System”.
- The current voting systems in the UK: a brief explanation.
- First past the Post
In a way it’s the most simple and straightforward system. It is also known as the “Winner takes it All. It simple means that the candidate who gets more votes wins over the others.
- Supplementary Vote
When voting and using the “Supplementary Vote” (SV) the voter can vote for their first and second preference there will be two columns on the ballot paper and voters can make vote in two candidates (political parties). On the left column the voter votes for their first choice and the right column they can vote (if they want to) on their second choice. The winning candidate is the one who gets more than 50% of the votes on the left column. If none of the candidates gets more of the 50% on the left column, the candidate with most votes keep on the election and the rest are eliminated. Then the second choices on the ballot paper of the eliminated candidates are checked and then the second choice votes are distributed (if applicable) between the two remaining candidates. The candidate with the most votes at the end all this process wins the election.