140 years of winning electoral reformOn a chilly evening exactly 140 years ago, a diverse group gathered at 7 Clarges Street, Westminster. Brought together by the Victorian naturalist, archaeologist and polymath Sir John Lubbock, it was clear to them that the...Posted 16 Jan 2024
Which is the best electoral system for the House of Lords?Whenever the issue of creating an elected Second Chamber comes up, a common question is how it should be elected. Thankfully, one of the areas of agreement on Lords reform over the years has been...Posted 27 Dec 2023
The top 5 most-read ERS articles from 2023Every year we have a look through the stats to see which of our articles were the most popular with readers in the year coming to a close. So if you missed them the first...Posted 14 Dec 2023
One year to win local proportional representation in WalesA year from today, November 15, 2024, is the last day before the next election where your councillors can decide to bring local democracy into the 21st century. I am talking about how councillors are...Posted 15 Nov 2023
We gave evidence to MSs on a new Bill to reform the Senedd – here’s what we saidIn September a new piece of legislation was introduced into the Senedd, which looks set to change how the Welsh Parliament looks and works. The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill, if passed, will see...Posted 10 Nov 2023
Why independent candidates win with the Single Transferable VoteCurrently, there are 14 independent MPs in the House of Commons, which might seem to suggest Independent candidates can win under First-Past-The-Post (FPTP). But these MPs are only independent because they were suspended from their...Posted 01 Nov 2023
Northern Ireland’s local elections show the benefit of the Single Transferable VoteOn the 18th of May, Northern Ireland’s local elections showcased the continued successful use of the Single Transferable Vote (STV). This inclusive and proportional method stands in stark contrast to the disproportionate results witnessed in...Posted 26 May 2023
Why do so many parties use transferable voting for their leadership elections?The 27th of March sees the announcement of the results of the SNP leadership election. As we wrote a few weeks ago, the SNP uses the Alternative Vote to elect their leader – and they’re...Posted 24 Mar 2023
How many countries around the world use proportional representation?This article was updated in November 2025. Proportional representation is the most popular form of democracy for countries in the world today. Proportional Representation isn’t one electoral system though, it’s the simple idea that the...Posted 20 Mar 2023
What elections should the next government reform?Last week we published a blog on UK electoral reforms since 1997 and highlighted that whilst at Westminster the fight for electoral reform continues, the progress of reform across the UK increased and voters are...Posted 08 Mar 2023