Electoral Systems

Women and Elections

The National Democratic Institute

 INTRODUCTIONS/
GROUND RULES
• Introductions
• Ground rules
• Ice breaker exercise

Photo: NDI
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS OBJECTIVES
• To understand the different types
of electoral systems
• To increase awareness of the
potential advantages and
disadvantages to these systems
from a gender perspective
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS TOPICS
• Electoral Systems:
o Proportional Representation
o Majoritarian
o Mixed

Photo: Kathy Gest

 KEY TERMS
• Electoral System
• Proportional Representation
• Majoritarian System
• Open/Closed Party List
• Gender Quota

Photo: NDI
 What Do They Do?

At the most basic level, electoral

systems translate the votes cast in a
general election into seats won by
parties and candidates.

~ IDEA Electoral System Design Handbook

TYPES OF ELECTORAL SYSTEMS
Plurality/
Proportional Mixed Other
Majority

FPTP
SNTV
List PR Parallel
TRS
AV LV
BV
STV
MMP BC
PBV
 PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Advantages Disadvantages

• Proportionality • Coalition governments,

which can be unstable
• Encourage formation of
parties • Small parties have
disproportionate power
• Facilitate diverse
representation • Accountability

• Candidates need to get

votes from all over, not
just from a particular
region
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
List PR
• Multi-member districts
• Parties create candidate lists
• Voters select a party
• Parties are allocated seats based on
percentage of vote received
• “Open” or “closed” lists
• Thresholds very important
 BALLOT EXAMPLE

Photo: ACE Project

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
List PR
Advantages
• Reflects proportionality
• Allows smaller parties to
compete
• Minority and women’s
quotas are easier to
implement
• Encourages developed
parties
Criticisms
• Need more developed
parties
• Requires greater
coordination by parties,
concentrates power in
hands of central party
organization
• Weakens link between parties
and constituents
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Single Transferable Vote (STV)

• Multi-member districts
• Results through series of vote counts
• If no one gets quota, candidate with lowest
total votes is eliminated and votes
redistributed
• Continues until all seats are filled
 PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Single Transferable Vote (STV)
Advantages Criticisms

• Voters choose individuals • Complex/requires higher

and parties literacy
• Fairly proportional • Party members compete
results against each other
• Strengthens party- • Party with a plurality of
constituent connection votes can end up getting
fewer seats
 MAJORITARIAN
• Also known as “plurality system”
• Whoever wins the most votes, wins
the election.

Photo: Marie-Eve_NDI-Pakistan
 MAJORITARIAN TYPES
• First Past the Post
• Two-Round System
• Block Vote
• Party Block Vote
• Alternate Vote
 MAJORITARIAN
First Past the Post (FPTP)
• Citizens divided into districts cast a
single vote for their candidate

• Whoever gets the most votes, wins

• More typical of countries where a

single individual represents a
geographic area
 MAJORITARIAN
First Past the Post
Advantages Criticisms
• Simple • Excludes smaller parties
• Clear choices between • Can lead to exclusion of
candidates ethnic minorities
• Encourages links • Dependent on electoral
between constituents boundaries
and MPs (gerrymandering)
• Can foster more
broad-based politics
where there is not a
majority ethnic group
 MAJORITARIAN
Two-Round System
• Similar to FPTP; Candidates require
absolute majority
• First round of FPTP voting. If
someone gets a majority, s/he wins
• If not, some candidates may be
eliminated and a second vote takes
place
 MAJORITARIAN
Two-Round System
Advantages Criticisms

• Gives voters a second

• Expensive
chance
• Similar disadvantages to
• Encourages bargains and
FPTP
tradeoffs
• Can trigger conflict
• Minimizes vote-splitting
 MAJORITARIAN
Block Vote
• Multi-member districts

• Voters get as many votes as there are

candidates—can use all, some or none

• “X” number of candidates with highest

vote totals elected
 MAJORITARIAN
Block Vote
Advantages Criticisms

• Voters can pick • Can exaggerate FPTP

individuals problems
• Parties can have a more • Can fragment parties
active role than in FPTP • Candidate selection must
• Rewards organized produce a strategic
parties number of candidates
with broad appeal
 MAJORITARIAN
Party Block Vote
• Multi-member districts

• Parties build lists of candidates

• Voters choose party list not an

individual

• Party list gets elected

 MAJORITARIAN
Party Block Vote
Advantages Criticisms

• Simple • Suffers from

• Encourages strong parties
• Can facilitate minority
representation
problems of FPTP,
particularly
disproportionality
 MAJORITARIAN
Alternative Vote
• Single-member districts
• Voters rank candidate preferences
• If candidate secures an absolute
majority of first choice votes, s/he is
elected
• If not, candidate with the lowest votes
is eliminated, and votes reallocated
 MAJORITARIAN
Alternative Vote
Advantages Criticisms
• Candidates must seek • Complex/ requires
“first” and “second” higher level of literacy
votes of voters • Centrist outcomes
• Can encourage depend more on
compromise political context than
electoral system
• Avoids “tactical
voting” in FPTP • Doesn’t work well with
larger, multi-member
districts
 BALLOT EXAMPLE

Photo: ACE Project, International IDEA Handbook (2005)

 ELECTORAL SYSTEM
DIMENSIONS
• District Size
• District Magnitude
• Threshold
• Party vs. Candidate
• Quotas
Photo: Kathy Gest
DISTRICT SIZE AND MAGNITUDE
• Single or multiple districts?
• Number of representatives elected
per district (district magnitude)

Photo: Megan Doherty, NDI

PARTY LISTS AND THRESHOLD

• Open vs. Closed Lists

• Higher thresholds tend to result in
more women elected
OTHER ELECTORAL SYSTEM
DIMENSIONS
• Party vs. Candidate
• Quotas

Photo: lrobinsonNDI
 EXERCISE

In small groups, discuss the pros

and cons of your current electoral
system.
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS REVIEW
• Electoral Systems:
o Proportional Representation
o Majoritarian
o Mixed
• Electoral System Dimensions

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