Introducing the ERS General Election Results Hub Every general election, sites like the BBC, Guardian and Telegraph present live updates of the general election results as they roll in. Yet, despite having the data in front of you, it’s often hard to see the warping effect of our broken... Posted 09 Dec 2019
14 Million Voters Are In Seats That Haven’t Changed Hands Since WW2. Here’s Why Nearly 14 million voters are in seats that have not changed party hands since the Second World War, according to new research by the Electoral Reform Society. Taking into account equivalent predecessor seats, some seats have... Posted 09 Dec 2019
What is proportional representation? Parties from across the political spectrum are lining up against Westminster’s voting system and calling for proportional representation, but what does that term mean? There are lots of different ways to decide who gets to... Posted 06 Dec 2019
Is this the ‘hold your nose’ election? Record-breaking numbers set to vote tactically Polling from BMG research for the Electoral Reform Society has revealed that a record-breaking 30% of the public plan to vote ‘tactically’ in the next General Election. Tactical voting occurs when voters choose the best-positioned... Posted 04 Dec 2019
Democracy Day: On December 5th, it’s time to break the silence on political reform Few would say with honesty that Westminster is working. So it’s time to talk about how to change it. The Electoral Reform Society – along with other democracy organisations – are calling for December 5th... Posted 02 Dec 2019
STV: a 200-year quest for fair voting This December, the UK we will be voting in yet another general election using First Past the Post – a system where one party can gain an overall majority of seats with only 35% to... Posted 27 Nov 2019
We should be scrutinising candidates and policies. Instead the talk is of tactics and pacts Judging by the first week of the general election campaign, it seems likely that the remaining month will see a lot of focus on ‘tactical’ issues. We’ve already seen electoral pacts, or parties standing down... Posted 13 Nov 2019
What is tactical voting and why is it bad for democracy? In a Westminster election, tactical voting takes place when a voter chooses a candidate whom they wouldn’t normally support, in order to prevent another candidate from winning. For example, if you want to vote for... Posted 12 Nov 2019
Policies for a fairer politics: How we can fix a broken system This election, the political system is more distrusted by voters than it has been for years. It’s not hard to see why. The sense that people do not feel ‘heard’ is growing: an ERS poll... Posted 08 Nov 2019
What is a hung parliament? Across the country, a total of 650 Members of Parliament are elected to the Commons, with one per constituency. Under Westminster’s first past the post electoral system each MP doesn’t need to be supported by... Posted 06 Nov 2019