Voting Systems (Edexcel GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

First-past-the-post

• First Past the Post (FPTP) is the voting system used in UK general elections and many local elections

• Each voter chooses one candidate by placing a cross (X) next to their name on a secret ballot paper, which is placed into a sealed ballot box at a polling station (or submitted by post)

An example ballot paper

How First Past the Post works

• In a general election, each area, known as a constituency, elects one Member of Parliament (MP)

• The candidate who receives the most votes wins the seat

  • They do not need a majority (over 50%) of the votes

• In local elections, the process is similar

  • Electors select their chosen candidate to represent a specific ward

• All other votes are not counted towards representation

• This system is described as winner takes all

Evaluation of First Past the Post

Why FPTP is controversial

• Supporters argue it creates stable governments

• Critics argue it is unfair and unrepresentative

• This debate has led to calls for electoral reform, such as proportional representation

Proportional representation

• Proportional voting systems help ensure that the number of seats a party or group wins closely matches the share of votes they receive

• Proportional systems aim to make election results fairer and more representative

  • Fewer votes are wasted and smaller parties have a better chance of gaining representation

Proportional voting systems used in the UK

Supplementary Vote (SV)

• Supplementary Vote has been used for directly elected mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England

How the system works

• Voters choose a first-choice and a second-choice candidate

  • If one candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win outright

  • If no candidate reaches 50%, all but the top two candidates are eliminated

  • The second-choice votes of eliminated candidates are then transferred if they chose one of the remaining two

  • The candidate with the most votes after transfers wins

Key points

• SV encourages candidates to appeal to a broader range of voters

• It reduces the chance of a winner being elected on a very small share of the vote

Single Transferable Vote (STV)

• The Single Transferable Vote is used for elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly

• It is also used in local elections in Northern Ireland and Scotland

How the system works

• Voters rank candidates in order of preference (1, 2, 3, etc.)

• A quota of votes is needed to be elected

  • If a candidate receives more votes than the quota, their surplus votes are transferred to voters’ next choices

  • If no candidate reaches the quota, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred

  • This process continues until all seats are filled

Key points

• STV produces very proportional results

• Voters have more choice, including between candidates from the same party

• Elections using STV often result in coalition or power-sharing governments, especially in Northern Ireland

Additional Member System (AMS)

• The Additional Member System is used to elect members to:

  • The Scottish Parliament

  • The Welsh Parliament (Senedd)

  • The London Assembly

How the system works

• Voters are given two ballot papers:

  • One to elect a constituency representative using First Past the Post (FPTP)

  • One to vote for a party list in a wider region

• Seats from the party list are allocated to correct imbalances created by FPTP

  • For example, if a party deserves 15 seats overall based on its list vote but has already won 5 constituency seats, it receives 10 additional seats from its list

Key points

• AMS is a mixed system, combining FPTP and proportional representation

• It keeps a local representative while making results fairer overall

• Smaller parties gain better representation than under FPTP alone