Former New Zealand PM praises ‘very stable’ PR at Labour ConferenceDespite the downcast weather in Liverpool this week there was an upbeat mood at the Labour conference as the party celebrated its second best election result in its history and a return to government. Yet...Posted 26 Sep 2024
What Kamala Harris’ nomination means for the American party systemRob Richie is the co-founder and senior advisor to FairVote, a sister organisation to the Electoral Reform Society. FairVote is a nonpartisan organisation in America, campaigning for better elections for all, working to make ‘Ranked...Posted 22 Aug 2024
European local government: New ideas of decentralisation in a changing worldI was delighted to be asked to moderate the main Plenary Session of the 9th Annual Congress on European Local Government in Poland last week to discuss ‘New Ideas of Decentralisation in a Changing World’....Posted 12 Mar 2024
How do countries around the world deal with overseas voters?In October, legislation was introduced which would enable over 3 million more British citizens to vote. Wondering where the government have found 3 million extra voters? They’re the long-term UK diaspora, as the Guardian termed...Posted 08 Dec 2023
How proportional representation worked in the Polish electionWith a population of around 40 million, Poland is the European Union’s fifth largest member and by far the largest of its eastern states. It is therefore worth taking notice of any national election in...Posted 26 Oct 2023
Short, long, or in-between: How long do parliaments last?Regular elections are a core part of any democracy, but how regular should they be? There has been a lot of variety on what the right length is, both around the world and in the...Posted 25 Aug 2023
Greece changes electoral law, then changes it backGreece is holding their 2023 elections on 21 May, following protests and delays caused by the deadliest rail crash in Greek history on 28 February. The crash won’t be the only thing that might impact...Posted 21 Apr 2023
Why did the Netherlands adopt nationwide proportional representation?The Dutch prioritised proportionality above all else when creating their system of proportional representation; choosing a single nationwide constituency and a very low threshold. This is different to most countries which try to balance local...Posted 01 Apr 2023
How do Finland’s elections work?On Sunday 2nd April, voters in Finland will go to the polls to elect a new parliament. Finland’s parliament, known locally as the Eduskunta, contains exactly 200 MPs. 199 of these are elected by Party...Posted 20 Mar 2023
How many countries around the world use proportional representation?This article was updated in November 2025. Proportional representation is the most popular form of democracy for countries in the world today. Proportional Representation isn’t one electoral system though, it’s the simple idea that the...Posted 20 Mar 2023