Which European countries use proportional representation?Of the 43 countries most often considered to be within Europe, 40 use some form of proportional representation to elect their MPs. The UK stands almost alone in Europe in using a ‘one-person-takes-all’ disproportionate voting...Posted 26 Dec 2018
How does proportional representation work in Germany?[Note: Germany updated their voting system for the 2025 election, and introduced new rules. You can find out about that in our article on the election] Elections to Germany’s Bundestag – Germany’s House of Commons...Posted 18 Dec 2018
New Zealand election: Citizens make the most of fair votesSaturday saw New Zealand go to the polls for its eighth election since they ditched the broken first past the post system and adopted Mixed-Member Proportional representation (MMP) in 1993. Mixed-Member Proportional is a variant...Posted 27 Sep 2017
Scotland’s multi-party system can never be represented by First Past the PostAt the close of the polls on Thursday, people in Scotland will have faced 10 opportunities to vote in the last eight years. Of these elections and referendums, the general election is the only completely...Posted 08 Jun 2017
Fighting for fair votes around the world – lessons from the Global Greens CongressProportional representation has been a longstanding campaign of the Greens. But not just here in the UK – democratic reform is often a key plank of Green platforms. So it was fascinating to see leaders...Posted 07 Apr 2017
Building a stronger National Assembly, or why ‘We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat…’Given the tidal waves that have rocked our politics this year, it may seem an unusual time to be discussing the need for more Assembly Members. In a year of populist shocks and rhetoric, the...Posted 01 Dec 2016
After Brexit, it’s time for a bigger, stronger Senedd‘May you live in interesting times’ goes the old Chinese curse. And few could deny that we do: Brexit, a party system in flux, and a constitution in tumult all mark new times for the...Posted 29 Nov 2016
Electoral reform is making waves across the AtlanticThere’s something in the air, it seems. As I write, electoral reformers in Canada and the US have a real chance of securing a fairer voting system. As US voters prepare to pick their next...Posted 03 Nov 2016
A better voting system for the London AssemblyThis week is European Local Democracy Week 2016, and to mark it, we’re running a series of articles on how to make the London Assembly more democratic. For the first article in the ‘Building a Better...Posted 10 Oct 2016
ERS Quiz UKIP’s Leadership Candidates on Democratic ReformUKIP’s leadership election is in full swing, with the results announced on the 16thSeptember. At the ERS, we’re running Q&As with the leadership candidates for UKIP – as well as the Labour Party, which...Posted 06 Sep 2016