The Reformer

The Republic of Ireland has successfully used STV for over _100 years

How did the Republic of Ireland get proportional representation?

Today, almost every election held on the island of Ireland uses the Single Transferable Vote (STV). Bar elections for the 18...

New Zealand’s journey provides lessons for the UK

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...

Jersey 2022 even a simplified plurality system will still lead to unfair, distorted results

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...

Polling Station Hedge - ERS

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...

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...

Elections in the German states are hugely important

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...

Slovenia uses an interesting and unusual system of proportional representation

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...

Due to the First Past the Post element, the proportionality of the system is fairly limited

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...

Also the first parliamentary election with voting from 16

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,...

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...

STV has made Australian politics better wherever it is used

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...

other countries have powerful regional representatives, Britain remains the odd-one-out

How are the members of upper houses chosen around the world?

Many countries use a bicameral political system – meaning that they have two chambers in their parliament. These parliaments are...