News and Comment

The latest news and commentary from the Electoral Reform Society.

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Early voting doesn’t have to mean long queues

Two news stories stood out this week. As early voting opened in some US states, images of voters queuing all day to vote were greeted as signs of enthusiasm in America but confusion outside, while...

Posted 15 Oct 2020

New Zealand’s MMP electoral system: how does it work?

New Zealand actor Jack Buchanan explains how MMP works in this music video created in partnership with the New Zealand Electoral Commission. Politics in New Zealand can look to outsiders to be much like politics...

Posted 14 Oct 2020

New Zealand MMP song

Italian far-right fail to bring in First Past the Post

On Thursday last week, Italy’s Constitutional Court rejected a request by the far-right League Party to hold a referendum to impose Westminster style First Past the Post (FPTP) for elections to both the Chamber of Deputies...

Posted 21 Jan 2020

How do elections work in Japan?

For the next six weeks the eyes of the world will be fixed on Japan. Ok, probably not all the eyes just the ones that enjoy watching rugby. This week marks the beginning of the...

Posted 19 Sep 2019