New polling finds proportional representation still much more popular than First Past the PostEvery six months or so, since November 2019, the pollster YouGov have been asking the British public the following question regarding electoral reform. Some people support a change in the British voting system to proportional...Posted 11 Dec 2024
Unlike the UK, Ireland’s voting system can cope with changing voter preferencesWhen Ireland goes to the polls for its general election, on Friday 29 November, it will mark over 100 years of elections using the Single Transferable Vote (STV) form of proportional representation for the Irish...Posted 28 Nov 2024
Could Trump lose the popular vote for the third time but secure a second term as President?Before the last US Presidential election, in 2020, we asked whether it was possible for Donald Trump to again lose the popular vote but win the Presidency, as he had done in 2016. Although this...Posted 05 Nov 2024
Four striking general election outcomes showing the chaos of First Past the PostThe dust is settling on the results of the 2024 UK general election. We have a Labour government for the first time since 2010, with a majority of seats almost as big as Tony Blair’s...Posted 18 Jul 2024
Manifestos outside the big two parties: Putting democracy on the agendaLast week we looked at the sections of the Labour and Conservative manifestos that touched on democracy-related issues. This week, we turn our attention to the other parties that are standing candidates in virtually all...Posted 19 Jun 2024
Imposing First Past the Post on these roles was a mistakeThe recent mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections took place under a First Past the Post (FPTP) system, where people are able to put just one ‘X’ on their ballot – choosing only one...Posted 15 May 2024
First Past the Post means 100,000 Welsh voters were denied a say in the last local electionsLocal elections are an important part of democracy in Wales. But did you know that thousands of voters have a councillor that nobody voted for at all? Due to the Westminster-style First Past the Post...Posted 15 May 2024
Changes to First Past the Post style Electoral College increase chances of Trump victoryBarring an act of God, 5 November 2024 will see a rematch of the 2020 US Presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Looking back at the nationwide result in 2020, you would be...Posted 26 Mar 2024
How many hung parliaments has the UK had?Westminster’s First Past the Post (FPTP) system often results in some parties gaining far more seats than their vote share deserves. But there is no guarantee that this un-earned ‘bonus’ always means one party gets...Posted 14 Feb 2024
First past the post distorts public opinion on small boatsLast week’s YouGov MRP poll showing Labour on course for a 1997-style general election victory created a big splash. In addition to asking about people’s general election voting intention, YouGov asked respondents about their views...Posted 22 Jan 2024