Summary Overview Table of Systems in the UK: Detail and Usage
Type Definition System Use Features
To win a seat, a candidate needs FPTP General Small, single member constituencies
Simple
only one more vote than anyone Elections Disproportionate outcome
Plurality
else
Elect a single candidate. They are Supplementary Until 2023, Elect individuals
Majoritarian designed to secure an absolute Vote (SV) metro mayors & Two preferences
majority AV PCC Winner has majority
Attempts to allocate seats in direct STV Northern Large, multi-member constituencies
Proportional
proportion to votes cast Closed Party List Ireland Ranking of candidates
(PR)
Parliament
A system which mixes two others AMS Scottish Cast 2 votes
Parliament FPTP Constituency, PR regionally
Hybrid Welsh Senedd Mixed constituencies
Greater London
Assembly (GLA)
Usage of systems in the UK
Level Body System Used
National Westminster FPTP
Devolved Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, GLA AMS
Local Councils FPTP (STV in Scotland)
Type of System Simple Plurality Majoritarian PR Hybrid
Example System FPTP SV, AV CPL, STV AMS
Example Use Westminster CPL was used for UK votes Scottish Parl, Welsh
in EU elections. STV for Senedd and GLA.
Scottish local elections
Constituency Type Small, single member Large, multi-member Mix of both
, Summary Comparison Table of British Electoral Systems
Type System Details Strengths Weaknesses
1. Provides strong, stable government – The 1. Government is elected with less than
Simple Plurality
First Past the Post (FPTP) landslide e ect of FPTP delivers a ‘working 50% of the vote – this makes mandate
majority’ to carry out its mandate. This avoids questionable (eg. In 2024 Labour had 60% of
unstable coalitions or ine ective minority the seats but only 33% of the vote)
1. Voter places X on ballot next to their
governments. Alternative PR systems are often
preferred candidate to represent the
unstable, and smaller parties will have too 2. Unrepresentative at both national and
area
much influence in proportion to their size, and constituency level – 3rd and 4th parties are
2. At constituency level, the candidate
can hold larger parties to ransom marginalised and poorly represented, creating
with the largest number of votes is
Those with this view believe that stability is a landslide e ect. Parties with broad support
elected (only a plurality of votes
more important than proportionality that is spread out across the country get little
needed, ie. One more than the
C.A: 3rd and 4th parties poorly represented representation. (eg. Reform in 2015 was 3rd in
second placed candidate)
votes but only 5 seats. Greens had 1.8mil
3. Nationally, the winner is the party
2. Provides strong constituency votes, but 4 seats)
which has won the most
representation – A single MP in a small
constituencies
constituency creates a clear and close 3. Allows for periods of ‘elective
If a party does not gain a majority of
relationship between constituents, where all dictatorship’ – a government that dominates
seats in the commons then a hung
know who to approach if they have an issue. In parliament, typically due to having a large
parliament occurs. This is rare but can
comparison to PR, larger constituencies which majority has few limits on its power (eg. 2024
lead to formation of a coalition. (eg. Con-
have multiple MP’s blurs responsibility Labour has 411/650 seats so could form an
Lib 2010)
C.A: Not many know who their MP is anyway, elective dictatorship
and 2/3 of MPs are now minority candidates.
4. Wasted votes – if a candidate wins by a
3. The public are not in favour of change – large majority in safe seats, the extra surplus
2011 AV Referendum revealed 68% ‘No’ to votes don’t carry over and are e ectively
reform. BUT only 40% turnout. Overall this wasted (i.e. A win by 1 vote receives the same
suggests the public don’t even care or are representation of a win by thousands of votes)
interested in the matter.
However, since 2024 right wing parties such as
Reform UK have begun to campaign for
electoral reform. This is unusual as usually
such a matter is advocated for by those on the
left of the spectrum.
Type Definition System Use Features
To win a seat, a candidate needs FPTP General Small, single member constituencies
Simple
only one more vote than anyone Elections Disproportionate outcome
Plurality
else
Elect a single candidate. They are Supplementary Until 2023, Elect individuals
Majoritarian designed to secure an absolute Vote (SV) metro mayors & Two preferences
majority AV PCC Winner has majority
Attempts to allocate seats in direct STV Northern Large, multi-member constituencies
Proportional
proportion to votes cast Closed Party List Ireland Ranking of candidates
(PR)
Parliament
A system which mixes two others AMS Scottish Cast 2 votes
Parliament FPTP Constituency, PR regionally
Hybrid Welsh Senedd Mixed constituencies
Greater London
Assembly (GLA)
Usage of systems in the UK
Level Body System Used
National Westminster FPTP
Devolved Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, GLA AMS
Local Councils FPTP (STV in Scotland)
Type of System Simple Plurality Majoritarian PR Hybrid
Example System FPTP SV, AV CPL, STV AMS
Example Use Westminster CPL was used for UK votes Scottish Parl, Welsh
in EU elections. STV for Senedd and GLA.
Scottish local elections
Constituency Type Small, single member Large, multi-member Mix of both
, Summary Comparison Table of British Electoral Systems
Type System Details Strengths Weaknesses
1. Provides strong, stable government – The 1. Government is elected with less than
Simple Plurality
First Past the Post (FPTP) landslide e ect of FPTP delivers a ‘working 50% of the vote – this makes mandate
majority’ to carry out its mandate. This avoids questionable (eg. In 2024 Labour had 60% of
unstable coalitions or ine ective minority the seats but only 33% of the vote)
1. Voter places X on ballot next to their
governments. Alternative PR systems are often
preferred candidate to represent the
unstable, and smaller parties will have too 2. Unrepresentative at both national and
area
much influence in proportion to their size, and constituency level – 3rd and 4th parties are
2. At constituency level, the candidate
can hold larger parties to ransom marginalised and poorly represented, creating
with the largest number of votes is
Those with this view believe that stability is a landslide e ect. Parties with broad support
elected (only a plurality of votes
more important than proportionality that is spread out across the country get little
needed, ie. One more than the
C.A: 3rd and 4th parties poorly represented representation. (eg. Reform in 2015 was 3rd in
second placed candidate)
votes but only 5 seats. Greens had 1.8mil
3. Nationally, the winner is the party
2. Provides strong constituency votes, but 4 seats)
which has won the most
representation – A single MP in a small
constituencies
constituency creates a clear and close 3. Allows for periods of ‘elective
If a party does not gain a majority of
relationship between constituents, where all dictatorship’ – a government that dominates
seats in the commons then a hung
know who to approach if they have an issue. In parliament, typically due to having a large
parliament occurs. This is rare but can
comparison to PR, larger constituencies which majority has few limits on its power (eg. 2024
lead to formation of a coalition. (eg. Con-
have multiple MP’s blurs responsibility Labour has 411/650 seats so could form an
Lib 2010)
C.A: Not many know who their MP is anyway, elective dictatorship
and 2/3 of MPs are now minority candidates.
4. Wasted votes – if a candidate wins by a
3. The public are not in favour of change – large majority in safe seats, the extra surplus
2011 AV Referendum revealed 68% ‘No’ to votes don’t carry over and are e ectively
reform. BUT only 40% turnout. Overall this wasted (i.e. A win by 1 vote receives the same
suggests the public don’t even care or are representation of a win by thousands of votes)
interested in the matter.
However, since 2024 right wing parties such as
Reform UK have begun to campaign for
electoral reform. This is unusual as usually
such a matter is advocated for by those on the
left of the spectrum.
