Electoral Systems: Types, Functions, and Components

Posted on Nov 10, 2024 in Social sciences

Electoral Systems

Democratic Systems – Competitive Elections

In democratic systems, voters freely choose among several parties. Key characteristics include:

  • Free ballot
  • Competition between candidates
  • Equal opportunities for candidates and campaigns
  • Electoral decision limited to a specific period

Functions of Competitive Elections:

  1. Legitimize the political system and ruling party’s government.
  2. Express confidence in people and parties. Recruit political elites.
  3. Represent views and interests of the electorate.
  4. Adjust political institutions to the electorate’s preferences.
  5. Mobilize the electorate around social values, goals, and political agendas.
  6. Develop political consciousness by identifying issues and presenting alternatives.
  7. Channel political conflicts through peaceful methods.
  8. Integrate social plurality and form a politically viable common will.
  9. Encourage competition for power based on program alternatives.
  10. Designate the government.
  11. Establish a capable opposition.
  12. Provide an opportunity for a change of government.

Authoritarian Systems – Semi-Competitive Elections

Authoritarian systems feature semi-competitive elections where the opportunity and freedom to choose are denied. These elections serve to reinforce existing power relations, and opposition power is not at stake.

Functions of Semi-Competitive Elections:

  1. Attempt to legitimize existing power relations.
  2. Distend the policy into the state.
  3. Improve the international image.
  4. Express opposition forces.
  5. Reset the power to structurally strengthen the system.

Totalitarian Systems – Non-Competitive Elections

Totalitarian systems hold non-competitive elections where opportunities and freedom are limited. These elections are a tool of governance, not a criterion of legitimacy, and are controlled by a single party and state organs.

Functions of Non-Competitive Elections:

  1. Mobilize all social forces.
  2. Clarify the criteria of one-party politics.
  3. Consolidate the political-moral unity of the people.
  4. Express the unity between workers and the party.

Voting Procedures

Types of Votes

  • Single Vote: Each voter has one vote.
  • Voting Preference: Voters can express a preference for a particular candidate.
  • Multiple Voting: A voter has multiple ballots or as many as the contested seats in their constituency.
  • Limited Multiple Voting: The number of votes per voter is lower than the contested seats.
  • Alternative Vote: Voters can indicate second, third, and fourth preferences.
  • Dual Vote: Voters have two votes: one for a candidate in a single-member constituency and another for a party list in a multi-member constituency.
  • Simultaneous Vote: Voters cast one vote for two or more decisions.

Other Voting Mechanisms

  • Accumulation: Voters can accumulate multiple votes for one candidate.
  • Panachage: Voters can split their votes among candidates from different lists.

Electoral Formulas and Constituencies

Electoral Formulas

  • D’hondt Method: Votes for each party are divided using consecutive divisors.
  • Electoral Ratio: Total votes divided by seats at stake, requiring a minimum number of votes to win a seat.

Constituencies

A constituency is the geographical area where voters elect a certain number of candidates.

Formulas for Calculating Constituencies

  1. Uninominal: Distribute constituencies based on population, aiming for a proportion close to the seat allocation.
  2. Plurinominal: Establish districts by calculating the proportion of seats based on the total or partial number of inhabitants.

Gerrymandering: Manipulating constituency boundaries for partisan advantage.

Constituency Size and Proportional Effect

  • Small Constituency: 2 to 5 seats (low proportionality).
  • Medium Constituency: 6 to 9 seats (average proportionality).
  • Large Constituency: 10 or more seats (high proportionality).

Electoral List Systems

Form ListVoting Procedure
Closed and blocked list, the order of candidates is fixed.The voter has one vote and votes for the entire list.
Closed and blocked list, ranking candidates for relocation or modified by preference votes.The voter has one vote for a candidate, potentially changing the list order.
Open list, free relocation of candidates within and between lists.
  1. Voters have at least two votes (for list and candidate) or as many as candidates to be elected. They may accumulate votes for one candidate.
  2. Voters have multiple votes and can create their list from party-nominated candidates (panachage).

Binomial System

  1. The two lists with the most votes get 2 seats each in every constituency.
  2. The leading candidates in each list are elected.
  3. If one list receives double the votes of the following list, it gets both seats.

Majority Systems

  • Relative Majority: The party with the most votes in each constituency wins the seat.
  • Majority: To win, a candidate needs more than half the votes. In Chile, there’s a two-round system for presidential elections.