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
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
Changing Politics: Election reform opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic (FairVote and Electoral Reform Society)2024 has been a big election year in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and both countries are experiencing shared political trends – like unrepresentative election outcomes, growing support for independents and third...Posted 21 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
Campaigning for Proportional Representation: Lessons from around the world (Liberal Democrat Conference)Posted 21 Aug 2023