Jersey’s new electoral system has first outingTwo years ago, the Electoral Reform Society looked at the island of Guernsey’s new voting system where voters had to choose up to 38 candidates in a single island-wide ‘thirty-eight past the post’ election. But...Posted 23 Jun 2022
Do all countries have by-elections? Filling parliamentary vacancies around the worldThis Thursday (23rd June), voters in the constituencies of Tiverton and Honiton, and Wakefield go to the polls in by-elections caused by the scandal-related resignations of their previous MPs. By-elections allow voters to pick a...Posted 21 Jun 2022
How do elections work for France’s parliament, the French National Assembly?Fresh from re-electing Emmanuel Macron as president on 24 April 2022, French voters are now returning to the polls on the 12 and 19 June to elect a new parliament. Historically, presidential and legislative elections...Posted 30 May 2022
How do elections work in Australia?British voters may have to wait up to five years for a general election, but, for Australians, the opportunity comes no later than every three. On Saturday 21st May, Australia’s House of Representatives and roughly...Posted 15 May 2022
How do elections work in the German States?Fresh off the heels of voters in Germany’s northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein, this Sunday 15th May it is North-Rhine Westphalia’s turn to elect their state parliament or Landtag. With a population just shy of 18...Posted 09 May 2022
How do elections work in Slovenia?The process of democratisation since the collapse of communism has not been uniform across eastern Europe, but some countries, such as the Baltic states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, are now drawing level with established...Posted 21 Apr 2022
How do elections work in Hungary?Hungarian voters are just days away from electing a new parliament. The country has, of course, become known for its democratic backsliding under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – being the only EU member state not...Posted 01 Apr 2022
Labour win marks over 100 years of the Single Transferable Vote in MaltaSunday mornings may be associated with big-name political interview programmes, but perhaps not the declaration of an election result. Nonetheless, that was exactly what the people of Malta woke up to on Sunday 27th March...Posted 29 Mar 2022
Duvager’s law – more guidelines than actual rules?Wherever there are two dominant political parties, there is a steady stream of new parties hoping to break the system. Britain has had several over the years and America’s latest is the Forward Party of...Posted 09 Mar 2022
Does proportional representation lead to higher turnout?A healthy democracy requires healthy levels of democratic participation – the most crucial element of which is turnout at general elections. But Britain has one of the lowest turnout rates in the west – a...Posted 10 Feb 2022