How did New Zealand get proportional representation? Prior to 1996, MPs were elected to New Zealand’s House of Representatives using the same unrepresentative First Past The Post (FPTP) system that is used to elect MPs to the UK’s House of Commons. Since... Posted 02 Aug 2022
Jersey’s new electoral system has first outing Two years ago, the Electoral Reform Society looked at the island of Guernsey’s new voting system where voters had to choose up to 38 candidates in a single island-wide ‘thirty-eight past the post’ election. But... Posted 23 Jun 2022
Do all countries have by-elections? Filling parliamentary vacancies around the world This Thursday (23rd June), voters in the constituencies of Tiverton and Honiton, and Wakefield go to the polls in by-elections caused by the scandal-related resignations of their previous MPs. By-elections allow voters to pick a... Posted 21 Jun 2022
How do elections work in Australia? British voters may have to wait up to five years for a general election, but, for Australians, the opportunity comes no later than every three. On Saturday 21st May, Australia’s House of Representatives and roughly... Posted 15 May 2022
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
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
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
Labour win marks over 100 years of the Single Transferable Vote in Malta Sunday mornings may be associated with big-name political interview programmes, but perhaps not the declaration of an election result. Nonetheless, that was exactly what the people of Malta woke up to on Sunday 27th March... Posted 29 Mar 2022
IWD: Why proportional representation can be a driving force for political equality A driving force for most people who believe in electoral reform is the belief that seats should match votes and that the broad and diverse communities that make up the United Kingdom should have their... Posted 08 Mar 2022
The Single Transferable Vote means every vote counts in New South Wales’ local elections In the closing days of 2021, I braved the scorch of the blistering Australian summer sun, walking through the streets of a leafy Sydney suburb and dropping flyers into letterboxes for the Sutherland Shire Council... Posted 07 Feb 2022