A Dictionary of the World's Electoral Systems: First-Past-the-Post, Proportional Representation, and More

The way "the will of the people" gets translated into seats differs from country to country — explore 6 representative electoral systems.

First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)

How it works: A single candidate who receives the most votes in a given constituency wins the seat. A candidate doesn't need a majority of votes — simply getting the most votes is enough to win. Pros and cons: The results are simple and tend to produce a stable majority party, but it has a significant "wasted vote" problem, in which votes cast for losing candidates are not reflected in the outcome at all. Representative examples: the UK and US House of Representatives (constituency seats), Canada, India.

Party-List Proportional Representation

How it works: Voters cast a ballot for a party rather than an individual candidate, and each party is allocated seats in proportion to its share of the vote, with winners determined in the order of a list the party submitted in advance. Pros and cons: Vote share and seat share tend to align relatively closely, making it easier for a diverse range of political forces to enter parliament, but it often leads to a proliferation of parties, requiring the formation of coalition governments. Representative examples: the Netherlands, Sweden, and many other European countries.

Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP)

How it works: Voters cast separate votes for a constituency candidate and a party; the total number of seats is first determined according to party vote share, and the remaining seats — after constituency winners are counted — are filled with proportional representatives. Pros and cons: It aims to reflect both regional representation and proportionality with party vote share at the same time, but its calculation method is complex, and some assess that this makes the results harder for voters to intuitively understand. Representative examples: Germany, New Zealand, and South Korea (which adopted a semi-mixed-member proportional system starting in 2020).

Two-Round System

How it works: If no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, a second round of voting is held between the top one or two vote-getters to determine the final winner. Pros and cons: It makes it easier for the winner to gain legitimacy from having secured broad (majority) support, but it has the drawback of requiring two elections, which takes more time and costs more money. Representative example: the French presidential election.

Multi-Member District System

How it works: A method in which two or more winners are elected from a single constituency, in order of votes received. Depending on the number of seats per constituency, it is sometimes further divided into medium and large multi-member district systems. Pros and cons: Because candidates from multiple parties and viewpoints can be elected together within a single constituency, representation is somewhat broader, but the larger a constituency becomes, the weaker the connection between voters and their representatives tends to be. Representative examples: some constituencies in Japan's House of Councillors elections, South Korea's local council elections.

Electoral College System

How it works: Instead of voters directly choosing a candidate, an electoral college (delegates) is first elected, and this electoral college then elects the final candidate. Pros and cons: It is designed to more evenly reflect regional preferences in a country with a large territory or a federal system, but it is frequently a source of controversy because it can result in the candidate with the most overall votes ultimately losing the election. Representative example: the US presidential election.

What does a "wasted vote" mean?

This refers to a vote cast for a losing candidate that is not reflected at all in the final allocation of seats. Systems in which only one candidate wins per constituency, like first-past-the-post, tend to produce more wasted votes, which is often why proportional representation or mixed-member systems are introduced alongside them to help offset this.

Does a single country use only one method?

No. It's common for a country to use different systems together depending on the type of election (presidential, parliamentary, local council, etc.), even within the same country. For example, in parliamentary elections, constituency seats might be elected via first-past-the-post while proportional seats are allocated based on party vote share, mixing the two methods together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which electoral system is the "fairest"?

There is no absolutely superior method, since each system pursues different values. Proportional representation is considered relatively advantageous if you prioritize alignment between vote share and seat share, while first-past-the-post is considered relatively advantageous if you prioritize regional representation and political stability.

I'd also like to learn about international organizations.

If you're curious about the roles of international organizations like the UN, WHO, and IMF, take a look at our dictionary of international organizations as well.