News and Comment

The latest news and commentary from the Electoral Reform Society.

Around the World | Current Affairs Commentary | Developments at the ERS | Your Questions Answered | Case Studies

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

Elections in the German states are hugely important

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

Slovenia uses an interesting and unusual system of proportional representation

Why England needs the Single Transferable Vote

In May 2022, local elections will take place throughout Scotland and Wales, as well as in many parts of England, including the election of all local councillors in Greater London. In Scotland, these will be...

Posted 07 Apr 2022

For too long England has lagged behind on progress towards fairer votes

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

Due to the First Past the Post element, the proportionality of the system is fairly limited

How are English local councils funded?

While you might think that local councils are wholly funded by council tax, in fact, local government in England is funded by a combination of central government grants and local taxes. What are the problems...

Posted 30 Mar 2022

The UK has one of the most centralised local government funding systems